Autumn Enigma
by Assume-Nothing
Summary: When you've just found who you are and what you want, do you ever want your knowledge to end? Join Autumn as she finds out she's a witch and travels day by day at Hogwarts, finding who she really is and what her mother's past has to do with her. *DONE!*
1. The Boot

(Author's Note) Hey everyone, this is my first fanfic that I have ever written. I have read so many Harry Potter fic's and coming back day after day after day (Angels Do Have Claws – FireGoddess and Ron Weasley's Fan Fiction – Loralie), I decided that I may as well write one myself, since I will have something to do other than look at everyone else's work. Please R/R if you have any ideas! * Even though I think I have this planned, I will come up with a block some time * Please enjoy!

Disclaimers: Yeah, I don't own Harry Potter or Hogwarts or anything like that but unless by some weird circumstance, someone peeped into my dream of this happening, then I own Autumn and all other non-Harry Potter characters.

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The clanging of dishes downstairs awoke sixteen-year-old autumn into the bright morning sunlight. Stretching, she heard quite a bit of yelling and cursing coming from what seemed to be her father.

"God-damned… stupid…" A loud crash cut off whatever he happened to be saying at that moment. "Bloody hell!" 

Autumn pulled herself out of bed and stepped onto the warming hardwood floor of her bedroom. She blinked for a second, not yet quite awake. Another crash in the kitchen startled her so much that she jumped nearly a half a foot in the air. Tentatively walking down the stairs, she saw her father with a spatula in one hand and a beer bottle, mostly full, in the other.

"Dad?"

"Oh, hi hunnie, sorry for the racket, did I wake you?" Her dad said as he continued fry the eggs that were in the pan. They bubbled and crackled a bit as Autumn spoke. She thought that she saw one spark, but shook it off as her still being rather sleepy.

"Yes and no, but that's alright. It's about time that I got up anyway. What was with your cursing and going on?" She took a fork and pulled off a part of one of the half-cooked eggs.

"Damn pony, he got out again. I chased him over the hills for a good half-hour. Caught him though, the bloody git. Lost my boot, even so. Figured that you have better eyesight than me, you may as well take him out and look for it after we have something to eat and you get yourself ready." Just then, the stove timer dinged and Autumn looked at the eggs to see if they were actually done. They were, and so was the bacon. 'Wait,' she thought to herself, 'was there bacon there before?' She shook her head, dismissing it as just being un-observant.

During breakfast, Autumn pulled out a book from underneath her chair, an old one of her mothers about wizards and wizardry, which she found rather intriguing. She began reading as she always did, while she ate. A few moments later, she noticed that her father had stopped eating. She looked up, with an inquisitive glance. Her father chuckled, running his hand through a lock of his scruffy-long brown hair.

"Just like your mother, you are. Always have your nose in a book!" Autumn gave her father a quick smile and went back to reading and eating. She found it kind of hard to concentrate on reading now, though. She _was_ a lot like her mother. They had the same natural blonde streaks in their fall-like auburn hair and they were both tall and slim. Although, the only thing that differed through the family was their eyes. Everyone had baby blue eyes, except for Autumn, whose eyes were deep green with flecks of honey gold. Her mother had always thought of Autumn and her difference as just 'original', and her mother, being original herself with a flirty personality, was right. Yet, she was not around anymore to flaunt it, she had drowned five years back, when Autumn was eleven. 

****

Back up in her room, Autumn tripped over her alto saxophone case about four times looking for her riding boots. Soon, she found them, almost magically, behind her saxophone case, pulled them on and ran out of her room to the stable whilst pulling her layered hair up into a messy ponytail.

She found her pony, Snitch, all ready to go, with his saddle and bridle. She figured that her father must have already been down to get the pony ready for her. Leading him out onto the lush green lawn and into the heating English September sun, she mounted and rode off in the direction of the hills at a brisk trot, rising in time with the pony's gait. After reaching the top of the first hill, she could see in the long grass where her father and the pony had been playing 'catch-me-if-you-can' by the way that the grass was moved, marking a trail almost. She gathered up her reins and tapped the pony's hindquarters with her riding crop, moving him into a swift canter, following the grass trail.

"Whoa." She said softly to the pony a few moments later. The pony huffed as she pulled him to a stop, in front of her fathers old work boot in the dewy grass below. Autumn jumped off and Snitch stuck his nose into the boot just as she picked it up by the black rubber sole. Just then, Autumn felt a jolt, and a pulling from somewhere behind her navel. She felt like her hand was stuck to the boot with some type of magnetic pull. All around her was a green light. Suddenly, her feet slammed into the soft ground and beside her, Snitch's hooves landed. She grabbed hold of his reins before he could run and looked around her. She couldn't believe what she saw.

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Hey, thanks for reading, please R/R! The next chapters should be up fairly quickly, so come back soon!


	2. The Castle

Ok, so here's the next chapter for you all, fresh out of the oven of my brain. Hope you enjoy! I tried my best on making the characters sound like they actually do, but hey, they are a few years older, so I guess they can be different a bit!

Disclaimers : I still don't own Harry Potter.

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"Blimey O'Reilly."

It was a castle. And one huge castle at that, with turrets and towers and everything. Autumn blinked twice, rubbed her eyes and looked around again. This was no joke. A large, dirty sign on the castle door read 'Beware!' with lots of other small writing that she couldn't make out because of the grime that covered it. It didn't look dangerous in the least; it looked simply brilliant, vaguely like one of the castles out of her mothers "Wizards and Wizardry" books. She sat down, still holding Snitch's reins, in the dirt, wondering how she could have ever gotten here. Wherever here was.

"So, Snitch… what do we do now? We aren't even in sight of anything familiar." Snitch just snorted.

****

"Who the hell's that?" Ron Weasley said, looking out of a window near the front of the castle. "And how the hell did she get here?"

Hermione Granger looked out beside Ron. "Muggle." She said simply. "Must have gotten lost or something, she has a horse, she probably rode here."

"But, she can't see that it's Hogwarts, and she can't see us, can she?" He asked, staring at the coal-colored pony and the mystery girl's back.

"No, Ron. Don't you ever pay attention in class? Muggles only see a run-down castle with a 'Beware!' sign on it. Honestly, you _still_ haven't read Hogwarts: A History?"

"Well, thanks for the lecture," Ron said, stepping back from the window, the sunlight shining on his fiery red hair. "But, how's she gonna get out of here?" 

"Well Ron," Hermione said, fixing a glance on him. "We will just have to wait and see."

****

Meanwhile, Autumn sat and continued to think of a way to get out of wherever it was that she and Snitch had landed. Then she spotted the black rubber boot of her father's, lying about five metres away. She got up and walked to it, hoping that maybe it would bring her back to the hills by her house. Picking it up, nothing happened. She touched it to Snitch's nose, thinking that maybe they both needed to touch it, but even still, nothing happened.

"Marvelous." She said to herself, dropping the boot into her saddlebag. "Just bloody marvelous."

"Ain't no way that boot 'ere is gonna get ya back." Autumn jumped, and saw the tallest man that she was certain, had ever lived. He had a huge bushy black beard and hair and wore torn _robes?_ Looking even closer, she saw that they were _burnt_ in places.

She was taken slightly aback by the tall mans appearance.

"Who are you?" She asked. "And, bloody hell, where am I?"

The burly man chuckled a bit, and patted her pony. "Names Rubeus, Rubeus Hagrid. Nice lil' pony you 'ave ther'." Autumn tilted her head a bit. "Wish I could tell ya where y'are, but I… erm, I dun know."

He leant on a large willow tree for a moment, which seemed to _move_ to fit his hand. It was almost as if it was _annoyed_ that he was touching it. He took a stick out of his pocket and said a word that was barely plausible while he tapped the tree once.

"An' way… if you're wantin' to ge' back, jus' gallop straigh' into this here tree." Hagrid smiled crookedly. Autumn gawked at him, thinking he was insane, but found herself getting on Snitch and urging him into a gallop around the castle. If she got here from touching a boot, she was sure that she could get home by running through a tree. Snitch started to shy away about a metre from the tree, but Autumn guided him right through it and found that Hagrid was right. Last thing she heard was the tall man laughing, then she found herself back in the hills, behind her home.

She had just enough time to put the pony away, grab her fathers boot and walk up to the house. Just as soon as she walked in the door, she blacked out.

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So, what's gonna happen now? Is she going to tell her dad about showing up at some castle, or just leave it be?


	3. Madness at the Ministry

Here goes the third chapter of my FanFic. Hope you like it. I tried to upload my other chapters, but they don't come up at all, so I don't know what's going on. I hope that they are up now though. Anyway, I hope that you are enjoying my story!

Disclaimers: Harry Potter is not mine, nor will it ever be. Autumn is mine, and all the other non-HP characters. Thank you, have a large day.

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Wizards and witches alike had been apparating and disapparating in and out of Arthur Weasley's office all day long. Although his job was just 'Mis-Use Of Muggle Artifacts', everyone decided to bother him about it, since the boot _was _a muggle's boot. He couldn't tell the inquiring wizards and witches much though. He didn't know who had made the boot a portkey, but he was just glad that Hagrid happened to be patrolling the grounds when the girl appeared.

"What if they would have gone in?" Asked one wizard.

"What if the students saw?" What ifs were being asked all over the place. Mr. Weasley was getting frustrated with the constant questions.

"What if you all leave Mr. Weasley alone?" A dark voice spoke from behind the crowd. Several gasps were heard and the crowd parted like the Red Sea as Lucius Malfoy walked up the middle of it. Over half the wizards disapparated then and there. Lucius walked straight up to Mr. Weasley, his silver serpent cane in his right hand. The room became totally silent. Even the people in the pictures stopped moving. The picture of the smiling Weasley family on the messy red oak desk stopped smiling. Fred and George had their tongues stuck out.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley." He said, in his rich man drawl. "Looks as if you've had some visitors." The remaining few disapparated as Lucius turned and icily glared. "Now, Mr. Weasley, is there something that you aren't telling these people? That girl is going to go back and tell the whole English press what happened." He smirked a bit, moving his cane to his other hand. "And Hagrid never even did a Memory Charm."

"I know no more than you, Mr. Malfoy." Arthur replied, tight-lipped and obviously scared of the pale man and his cane.

"Are you sure, now?" Lucius replied, his eyes locked to Mr. Weasley's. "Because I know that you're lying." Lucius backed off a little bit, looking around the room. After a short pause, he looked back at Mr. Weasley, who was no longer cowering in his chair, but standing up. "Good job giving this place some homey touches, Weasley. This dump looks exactly like your house." Arthur looked around at what Lucius was seeing, as he felt the anger rise to his cheeks. Even Ginny, in the family picture, looked mad. The water glass on his desk exploded.

"Now, Weasley," Lucius said, calm but with an edge to his voice. "There's no reason to get upset. All I'm saying is that, hell, don't the pay you enough to at least buy a vacuum? And besides…"

"_silencio muteus._" Lucius continued to speak, but no sound came out. Mr. Weasley had muted him. "What were you saying, Mr. Malfoy?" Lucius was yelling at the top of his lungs and turning bright red, but still no noise came out.

"_finite incantatum._"

"Arthur Weasley, I will get you back for that, I will." And with that, he glided out the door, his black robes swooshing behind him.

"She won't tell anyone but her father." Mr. Weasley said to himself. "Because her father was a Ravenclaw."

****
Autumn awoke to a cold cloth pressed on her forehead. Her father's face peered down at her, worried.
"Whatever happened to you?" He asked, distraught. Autumn sat up slowly, holding the cloth to her pale forehead.
"I… I got it… your boot that is." She said, taking a breath after. Her father looked at her, urging her to continue. "The boot, it… it took me to somewhere else. A castle, with… a sign. It said 'Beware!' on it… Beware. Then, some man, a tall man… sent me back. Through… a tree." Autumn stopped and lay her head down on her father's shoulder. He glanced down at her, as if she made sense. She looked up.
"Don't you think that I'm insane? Are you not going to ask any questions?" She felt stupider now then she did for telling the story. Her father shook his head and then helped her up. It made sense to him, and he knew that she now knew that there was somewhere else. He decided that he'd have to explain to her that this somewhere else, was called Hogwarts.
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Hey, I'm going to really start getting into the Harry Potter stuff soon, so don't worry! Please R/R! Chapters will most likely be getting a bit longer after this!


	4. Ravenclaw and Wands

(Authors Note) Well here goes another chapter, it's going to be a bit longer than the other ones, I hope that you all don't mind. Please remember to read and review!

Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter or anything like that, I only own characters that I have made up (or actually, my dream made up) and school names that I wrote myself in this chapter.

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She sat down at the table with a slight head-ache. What did her father mean, Hogwarts? Though the name sounded familiar, like a school out of the "Wizard Schools and Secrets" book that her mother had hidden on a shelf years back. Her father began to speak again.

"I am a wizard." He came out and said. Autumn looked at him with disbelief. From underneath a pile of ruddy newspapers, entitled what she had never noticed, as 'The Daily Prophet', he took out a stick, similar to the one that the tall man (Rubus? Hungry? Hagrid?) had had. Still confused, she shook her head.

"_orchideous_!" Her father called and a large bouquet of flowers sprung out from the end. Now she understood a little better. The books all made sense. "I went to Hogwarts, I was a Ravenclaw." her father said. "And you would have too, if you would have been accepted. You're a pureblood wizard, or witch, you know."

"So, why do I not go to Hogwarts, or some other wizarding school like Beauxbatons or Pluriempleo?" She replied, naming off two schools she remembered reading about, one meaning 'lovely wands' and the other 'moon-lighting'.

"I'm getting to that." He replied. "The reason why you saw a castle, a beautiful one, but with a very dirty sign is because Muggles…"

"Non-magic people." Cut in Autumn.

"Right. Is because they only see a run-down castle, with a beware sign. But you saw it because you were born into a wizarding family, but weren't supposed to be there. So Hagrid turned the Whomping Willow tree, a tree that hates being hit or touched, into a portkey.

"Which transports wizards to different places." Autumn ended. "But what does Mom have to do with me not being able to go to a wizarding school?"

"Well, actually, your mother was a wizard too. She never drowned, that's just a cover-up story. She's in a wizard prison, called Azkaban, for using the Avada Ke – … the killing curse against other witches and wizards. As it turns out, she was working in secret as a Death Eater with the Dark Lord."

"Voldemort." She sighed.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." He replaced. "You know an awful lot about this already, how?"

"Reading."

"Well, I think that this has been enough for tonight," her father began. "Let's call it a day."

"No, dad please continue! I want to know more about why I'm not allowed into a wizarding school and about the Avada Kedavra curse." Autumn cried out.

"How did you know it was called Avada – oh right. Your reading." Her father half-grinned. "I suppose we can go on a bit." He picked up his wand once again. "_lumos_." A soft glow was emitted eerily through his wand.

"Basically, you know how it goes, Autumn. You know enough about wizardry and witchcraft that if we got you a wand; you'd be up to your grade at Hogwarts in no time. I figure though, that I should show you this." He stopped, closing his blue eyes and then, in a very different voice, roared "_accio_ letter!" A beige envelope flew onto the table. "It's from Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster."

She flipped the letter over. It was addressed to her. She opened it, reading the scrawl inside aloud, so her father could also hear what it said.

__

"Dear Ms. Fortshamen,

Due to circumstances that you father has likely explained to you, you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid has agreed to pick you up in two days time. Your father, we are sure, has the necessary items for you, and Ollivander from the Wand Shop, should be apparating with some wands for you to try within the two days.

We have been keeping a close watch on you for awhile, and have decided that despite your family's past, you can be accepted into Hogwarts under close security due to your mother's dabbling with the Dark Lord. Welcome to Hogwarts!

Professor Albus Dumbledore - Headmaster 

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"

She looked up, somewhat confused. "They have to keep a close eye on me?"

"They must think that your mother taught you a thing or two about the dark arts and the Dark Lord." He began. "But doesn't it seem weird to you that you are suddenly involved in a school that you had never heard of until today, and now you know the truth about everything?"

"Not really," Autumn stated. "It feels like I'm on a journey home."

****

THUMP! "Well, John, don't you think that you could _clean_ your fireplace once and awhile?"

"Ollivander! Long time no see!"

"Yes, yes, now where's your girl? I must be getting back soon." Just then, Autumn appeared in the colorful living room downstairs. "My, she looks like her mother, but those eyes…"

"Ollivander?" She said, almost startled.

"Yes, that's me. Now let's get you a wand! Try this!" He slipped a wand out of a slim box. "Give it a wave." Autumn waved the wand and suddenly all the pictures fell off the wall. "Oh, maybe not, Must be the Dragon Heartstring."

"_reparo."_ Said her father and fixed all the pictures. Ollivander handed her wand after wand, not finding anything.

"Peculiar. One of a kind wand. Try it." He handed her a red-brown wood wand. "Mahogany wood." He said, as she observed it. She waved the wand and it emitted sparks then spit out red sparkles. "Hmmm." Ollivander said, scratching his head. "Again." She waved it again, saying one of her favorite sounding spells out of one of her books.

"_tarentallegra."_ Ollivander began doing an offbeat foxtrot.

"Suits you fine!" He said, continuing to dance on the spot.

"_finite incantatem."_ John Fortshamen spoke. "Why so peculiar, Ollivander?"

"It's unicorn hair and snakeskin scales. Pure versus filth, good versus evil." With that, Ollivander waved good-bye and disappeared into the green-flaming fireplace.

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Well, what do you think of that? Sounds kind of like a half Gryffindor and half Slytherin wand. I wonder what's going to happen when Hagrid picks her up and she has her first day at Hogwarts!


	5. Harry, Hagrid and Hogwarts

Well, here we go, a longer chapter then all the others. I hope that you are still enjoying this story as much as I am writing it.

Disclaimers: I do not own Harry Potter. I have never claimed to own Harry Potter. I only own the things that I have made up in my own free time, which I have way too much of.

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Harry awoke early the next morning to hearing Ron talking to Neville Longbottom about the Muggle girl seen in front of Hogwarts. It had happened at least two days before, yet the whole school was still talking about it. It had been the source of many conversations. He picked up his glasses from the night-table beside him and put them on. His sixteen-year-old neck had a crick in it from sleeping on his 'Moste Potente Potions' book he had been reading the night before. Ron looked over at his, seeing if he was awake.

"Oy, Harry. Just havin' another good conversation about the Muggle girl. Didja hear that Draco's dad went down to the Ministry and demanded an explanation from my father?"

Harry managed to crack a smile and lay his head back down on his fluffy pillow. It was early. He may as well try and get a little bit more sleep before going down for breakfast.

"I also heard from Hagrid that we are getting a new student, a sixth year." Ron said, hoping to catch Harry's attention. He shot up in bed.

"A si-six-sixth year?" he stammered, trying to flatten his hair that was so happy it stood up to cheer. "When?"

"Today. No afternoon classes anyway. Hagrid said she'd be here around dinner."

"She?" Harry questioned. Ron nodded as if it were all normal. "No way, Trelawney can't be right. Remember, she said a new student would be coming to Hogwarts? A female student with a Dark past, a mystery-type girl, seeming like she's wrongly placed. Think like Hermione, Ron. What could that mean?" Ron thought for a second.

"She's gonna be a Gryffindor." Ron replied, moments later.

"You figure?" Neville said, jumping into the conversation.

"A dark, mystery girl who seems like she's been wrongly placed can only be in one spot to seem wrongly placed. Gryffindor." 

"Just what we need," Harry stated. "A dark wizardress in the Common Room of Gryffindor." He thought for a moment as Ron and Neville exchanged glances. "But wait, she only _seems_ like she's been wrongly place. So, she really isn't." Harry looked skeptically into his bedside mirror.

"_Get some gel."_ It said to him. Ron nodded. Harry decided that he'd heard enough, gathered his robes and raced off to the showers. 

****

Autumn had spent the whole day after Ollivander came with his wands, studying every wizardry book that her mom had left her. She memorized potions, worked on every spell, charm and incantation that she could find, learned everything about Hogwarts and History of Magic, but spent the longest time reading up about Quidditch, which sounded like an immense amount of fun. By nightfall, she felt as if her brain were going to explode. She had fallen asleep with a rather large book about the unforgivable curses in her hand, the chap inside still talking as she nodded off to sleep.

In the morning, her father woke her and told her to get her things ready for transport to Hogwarts.

"Thanks." She murmured, as she sleepily picked up her Hogwarts trunk that had just… _apparated?_ into her bedroom. Picking up all her books, robes and cauldron, she fit them all in with room to spare. She looked around for anything else. Her wand, of course! She put in the wand, then picked up her saxophone case, laughing like a banshee. "No way that this will fit." She dropped it on top of all her clothes and tried to shut the case. It clicked closed. "Bloody hell! That's mad!" Just after she changed, her father came in, looking suspicious.

"Well, I just came to say good luck… and I got you two parting gifts, which would you like first, the noisy one or the quiet one?" Autumn thought for a moment, then spoke.

"The noisy on-" A motorcycle sounded outside, the engine spluttered, then it was silent again. "Was that it?"

"Nope, that must be Hagrid." He smiled. "He'll wait a second. Here take both gifts at once." She couldn't believe what she saw. On the left side of her at her feet was a female tawny owl, whose feathers gleamed with red in the mild sunlight. At her right side was the newest Quidditch racing broom, the Nimbus Elite. 

"Thank you, dad!" Autumn cried as she picked them both up, sticking the broomstick under her arm and picking up her Hogwarts trunk with her other hand. Hagrid beeped outside. She raced down the stairs as best she could and ran outside to meet Hagrid. She stopped momentarily when she saw him.

"Rea' te go?" he asked. Autumn nodded, smiling. Hagrid picked up all her things and hooked them to the back of his bike. Then, waving good-bye to her father, her and Hagrid sped off into the clear air on his flying motorcycle. 

"This is amazing!" she said, as they flew out of sight of her house, her new owl hooting happily.

"Ye can le' 'er ou' if ye wan'." Hagrid replied. Autumn turned around slightly and undid the latch on her cage. She flew out, flapping her wings. "Whas 'er name?" Hagrid asked. Autumn stopped cold. Then a name came to her mind.

"Ginger." She said, thinking of the ginger red color the owl's feathers made. "Ginger."

****

Harry was nervous about the new girl's arrival, but he didn't know why. In his last class before lunch, with Professor Sprout in Herbology, he almost mixed up a deadly foreign plant with the root that he was supposed to be looking for, and potting.

"Harry, what's wrong with you?" Hermione asked, near the end of class. "Distracted much?" Harry just nodded and continued working.

"What was the name of the root we were looking for?" Short Professor Sprout asked. Hermione raised her hand with great enthusiasm. 

"The autumn root, or automna equisi. Only found in dark places, and can only be dug in the fall." Hermione replied, smartly.

"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Professor Sprout clapped.

****

Autumn couldn't believe her eyes as she walked into the Great Hall. Her eyes moved towards the ceiling where a white fluffy cloud, sunny sky could be seen. At the front was a large head table, and there were four longer tables, two on each side with an aisle up the middle, in front of that. 'One for each house.' She thought. Hagrid placed her bags down at her feet.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." He said.

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So, she's finally at Hogwarts, but still has to be sorted… Will she be in Gryffindor as Ron thought? What will happen her first day? Please R/R! Also, do you think that in the next chapter, the sorting hat should have a song?


	6. The Sorting Hat

(Authors Note) Welcome back to the world of Autumn. I didn't know if the Sorting Hat should sing a song for Autumn or not, but I decided that it prolly wouldn't be very realistic. Thanks for all your 'She'd better be in Gryffindor' reviews. You guys help make the story.

Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter, or Draco. Damn, I wish I owned him, though.

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It was decided by Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore that Autumn's thing's would be left by the Head Table until she was sorted into a house, which then they would transport themselves there. Therefore, she only took out her wand and school robes from her Hogwarts trunk and went into one of the bathrooms to change. She put her wand in the pocket of her robes and proceeded back down to the Great Hall. When she opened the large wooden doors, what she saw was even more amazing then when she had first walked in. The long tables were covered in mounds of food and the benches were filled with student from every year. Hagrid saw that she was peeping through the doors and whispered to Dumbledore who tapped his drinking goblet with his dessert spoon after nodding towards her. A stool with a hat on it was on the stage in front of Dumbledore and the head table, which she assumed was the Sorting Hat. Her bags were still off to the side. The Great Hall became silent.

"Do come in, Ms. Fortshamen." Dumbledore spoke. She took a few steps forward. Something in Hagrid's look told her to keep walking. "Ah, students. I'd like to present our new student to you, sixth year Autumn Fortshamen!" The Great Hall erupted into applause, as Autumn blushed, continuing to walk toward the main table.

"Harry!" Ron cried as the Hall continued to clap. "That's the girl! That's the…. Muggle?" Hermione looked over at Ron.

"But, she's not a Muggle, she's a wizard!" Harry had his eyes glued to Autumn. "Harry?" He waved off her comments with a flick of his hand.

"Due to circumstances beyond fixing, we have allowed Ms. Fortshamen to be attending this school under close watch." The Headmaster looked at her directly as he said the last words. All the students looked at each other, questioning what he meant, and if they'd ever find out.

"Fortshamen." Hermione said, out of the blue. "I've heard that name before, but where?" She snapped her fingers. "Her mother, she's in Azkaban for Avada Kedavra… she killed someone or something like that. Unless it's another Fortshamen…" Harry finally looked up at Hermione.

"Not a common name."

"Now, Ms. Fortshamen must be sorted into a house, so please… whichever she's in, accept her like a sister as you have done with others." Dumbledore pet his long, white beard and looked at each table directly, pausing longer at the Slytherin House table. Autumn stood before him, just in front of the stool which held the hat. Professor McGonagall stepped beside her and picked it up. Autumn sat down on the old stool, the dinner candlelight making the colors of her hair stand out. She darted her eyes quickly over people at the tables, all looking at her. There was a very attractive blonde guy sitting at what she thought was the Slytherin table. '_Would I ever like to get my hands on him.'_ She thought, before the Professor placed the hat on her head.

"Well, what do we have here? Fortshamen, eh?" The hat spoke. "Got plenty of your mother's bravery and sly, sneakiness… could be a great Ravenclaw like your father." It paused. "Think he's gorgeous, do you?" Autumn jumped and the hat chuckled. " I know what you're thinking, it's all here in your head. Plenty of truth in you, and courage and heart… you could fit in just about any house. But where to put you…" Autumn didn't know what to think, or if to. She just sat, being stared at, trying not to fill her mind with anything. She noticed a moment later, that the hat had stopped talking. The students were fidgeting. 

Autumn looked around, peering up at the hat's brim. It still didn't speak. It seemed to be thinking. Autumn sighed and tucked her hair back behind her ears. Suddenly, in a loud voice, the old witches hat roared. 

"I think you'll make it in… Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table cheered, while all the others clapped. Hagrid smiled as Autumn climbed off the stool and ran to sit with the Gryffindor house.

"Before the feast proceeds, I would like to make an announcement. At the end of this year, we will have our first annual End of the Year Ball. I encourage you all to dress up and look your finest for this special night. Let the feast continue!" Dumbledore said, clapping, the students all excited about the big upcoming dance. Suddenly, she noticed her bags were gone. '_Must have been taken up to the dorms.'_ She took a seat next to a girl with poofy brown hair.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger and these are my friends, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and-…"

"Harry Potter?" Autumn cut in, gawking. Harry turned beet red and, embarrassed, moved his parted hair to the other side so that she could see the scar. Even she knew who he was. Just then, Ginny Weasley came in, and took a seat on the other side of Hermione.

"And I'm Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister."

"Pleased to meet you all." She said, and picked up her fork to begin eating. After a moment, she looked up. Ron was staring like he'd seen a ghost, which wouldn't be unusual around Hogwarts, or had just run into Fluffy, Hagrid's three-headed dog, again. "Yes?" she said, locking her green eyes on his.

"Nothing." He mumbled and turned back to eating.

"Hermione," she whispered, leaning to her right. She looked up. "Who's the blonde guy over there, in Slytherin." Hermione didn't even look around to see whom it was that she was talking about.

"Draco Malfoy. Happens to be against all Gryffindors. Harry especially."

"Oh."

"Great, Ron." Harry whispered, leaning over to the red-head. "She's asking about Malfoy." Ron smiled.

"She's new. Of course she's asking about Malfoy." The both laughed. Autumn looked up. Being as self-conscious as she was, she thought that Harry was saying something terrible about her, judging her already. Something in her mind made her dub Harry as a stuck-up celebrity and she doubted if she'd ever think differently. Now, this Malfoy guy looked pretty interesting. And hot too.

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What's Autumn going to do about her new liking of Malfoy? R/R please with some ideas!


	7. Two Encounters of a Dark Sort

(A/N) Hey, It took me longer to think of a title for this chapter than to write it, which is pretty bad. I actually had about three other chapters written then found that I was missing things, so now I have to write two chapters (well, one more) to go between chapters six and seven that were written before. So, now I present to you, chapter six and a half. (BTW, I've had people asking me who Autumn is based on. She is mostly based on me, with a bit of a couple of my friends thrown in for good measure.)

Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter... Or anyone by the name of Harry Potter. I only own Autumn and other weird people I create. Thank you. Now you all must go into a shoe store and ask for a cheeseburger (don't ask…) 

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By the end of the feast, Hermione had warned Autumn to stay away from Draco five times, Ginny had asked Autumn where she came from seven times and Ron had asked Harry to pass him the chicken wings nearly fourteen times. And every one of those fourteen times, Autumn looked up and saw them talking, presumably about her. She wasn't sure what made her caution herself about Harry so much, he was just like any other wizard, except that he had survived Avada Kedavra when he was very young. As the group of them was walking back up to the Gryffindor tower, with Autumn lagging a bit behind them, studying everything on her way, they ran into Draco Malfoy and his bodyguards, muscular, but chubby and known mostly by their last names only, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Oh, look!" Draco spoke, Crabbe on his left and Goyle to his right. "It's Harry Pothead and his clan of prats. Who's here today? Welfare Weasley, oh wait, recount. Mr. and Mrs. Welfare Weasley, Mudblood Granger-…"

"Take that back!" Ron called, stepping in front of a reddening Hermione.

"Ah, yes." Purred Draco. "Oh, then there's Harry Pothead himself and his look-at-me scar and…" Just then, Autumn caught up to the group. "Who's that you're all 'protecting' from me?" Autumn boldly moved in front of Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny. "The new girl." He replied, his voice softened. He took her hand and kissed it. "Draco Malfoy. A pleasure." Autumn blushed, or so Hermione thought she did. Ginny snorted.

"Autumn Fortshamen." She replied, looking down at Draco's hand still holding hers. Suddenly, noticing what she was looking at, he dropped her hand like it was flaming. She giggled, tucking her hair behind her ears temptingly.

"Soon, you'll realize, Autumn," Draco spoke. "That certain wizard families are superior to others." He glared at Hermione and Ron. "And since you're a pureblood, maybe you'd like to join some others." He held an arm out to either side, motioning towards Crabbe, Goyle, then himself. She looked at him a bit inquisitively. Harry and the others knew that there was no way she could get herself out of this one, not without pissing Draco off and having him mad at yet another Gryff or blowing off all of Gryffindor house.

"Well, Draco." She replied, winking so that only Ginny and Hermione could see. "I'd _love_ to take up on your remarkable offer, but I was just on my way to my common room to make sure that my things are there." Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione couldn't believe it. She'd quite possibly done the impossible. Gotten away with not being around Draco and having him not ready to set a Basilisk on her. "I _will_ see you around, Draco." Ron and all the others turned around to walk another way to their common room. But only Draco saw the wink that Autumn gave him, and he returned it.

****

"What a bloody git." Ron said, as they entered the common room. "And he even tried to convince Autumn as he did Harry first year that he's better than everyone else." They all murmured in agreement, Autumn just staring at the common room.

"Kind of amazing, isn't it?" Ginny said, whispering. Autumn nodded. She followed her and Hermione up a flight of stairs into her dorm room. Everything was so surreal. Falling asleep that night, after talking about everything there was to talk about, teachers (they warned her about Snape), classes (how Divination and Trelawney were full of shit) and general Hogwarts things, Autumn recalled all the things that had happened since only a few days before. It was almost unrealistic.

The next day when she awoke was a Friday, and the dorms were empty and the common room deserted. Autumn took a quick shower and got dressed, assuming all the students were in class. Pulling her hair up as usual, she was not sure of what to wear and if she was to go to class. She put on an outfit similar to the ones that Ginny and Hermione had been wearing the day before and added her school cloak over the 'just-above-kneelength' black skirt, white blouse, Gryffindor sweater and tie, and headed off to see Dumbledore, pocketing her wand on the way. It covered the floor with a pile of the disappearing red sparkles as she left. When she exited the picture frame of the Fat Lady, she nearly ran into Severus Snape, the Potions teacher.

"My girl," He said, intrigued that it was her. "Shouldn't you be in a class? Or since it's your first day here, have Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall decided that it's alright if you wander about and get yourself into trouble?"

"Well Professor, sir, that's what I'm about to find out. Which way would it be to Dumbledore's office?" Autumn replied, curtly. She had been warned of Snape's dislike of Gryffindors. He jeered at her a bit.

"Still don't know your way around here? Your lack of knowledge seems a bit of a shame. One could get in trouble not knowing where she's going." He leaned towards her and whispered. "Could walk right into trouble and you wouldn't want that now, would you?"

"I'll take 'er from 'ere, Severus." Snape jumped back. It was Hagrid. "C'mon Autumn, I'll take yer te Dumbledore." Autumn followed the burly man down the corridor as Snape watched them, the sunlight shining on his greasy hair like an oil spot.

****

As Hagrid and Autumn arrived at the door of Dumbledore's office, they saw that Lucius Malfoy was there, walking around the room, generally ranting about the Ministry. When he had his back turned, Dumbledore held one finger up, to tell them that he'd only be one minute.

"So, I guess now that she's a wizard and all, a pureblood one at that," Lucius rambled on. "I won't need to go back to visit that bloody Arthur Weasley about her spreading to the press. Besides," he leaned forward on Dumbledore's desk as he spoke. "She's a bit of a mystery herself, and if her mother's in Azkaban for using Avada Kedavra, then it shouldn't be much longer before she's there herself."

"Now, Lucius…" Dumbledore began.

"No, Dumbledore. I want to know…" he leaned off his desk a bit. "Why the bloody hell," he roared. "Isn't she in _Slytherin?_" Fawkes ruffled his feathers a bit, annoyed by the racket that Mr. Malfoy was making. Lucius stood straight up, and flattened his robes with one hand, while the other held his serpent cane.

"Lucius, you know well that the student go where the hat puts them. We don't question the motives of the hat." Dumbledore replied calmly, petting Fawkes' gleaming feathers.

"Well," Lucius hissed, his blonde hair, the same color as Draco's, falling about. "Maybe it's time that someone did. When a witch," he spat. "Goes into Gryffindor when her mother was working alongside _Voldemort_, then there's something wrong." With that, he turned on his heels and left the office, passing Hagrid and Autumn as he did. Hagrid have Autumn a half smile, put his hand on her back and let her enter Dumbledore's office before him.

"'Lo ther' Dumbledore. I brough' yer a present." Hagrid chuckled. Autumn smiled a bit, looking at them both.

"Hello, Autumn," Dumbledore said, as if nothing had happened only a few moments ago. "Suppose you wondered where everyone was this morning?" Autumn nodded. "Well, I thought that maybe you'd like to get to know your way around here a bit." Autumn thought back to her encounter with Snape and what he had said to her.

"Yes sir, I'd like that."

"Well then, I'm sure that Hagrid wouldn't mind giving you a bit of a tour of the place. Is that alright with you, Hagrid?" Hagrid nodded.

"No' a problem wi' meh, Dumbl'dore."

"Alright then, Autumn. Your classes begin Monday." He passed her a schedule. "Oh and… you never heard Lucius, okay?" He said, winking.

"O' course no', Headmaster sir. Nothin' a' all." Hagrid replied.

"Never heard anything." Autumn ended as she and Hagrid left the room.

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What's going to happen on her little 'tour' around with Hagrid? Where will they go and what will they see? And why does Autumn's wand keep emitting red sparkles? Please R/R!


	8. Uncolored

(A/N) I got tired of writing two copies of everything, so I am writing this chapter off the top of my head. Don't expect anything amazing! I also really don't feel like writing right now, but I am doing this for all you guys who read this and want another chapter. Sorry if the next chapter doesn't come for awhile, I'm really busy with school and out of school stuff.

Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter. Give me a break.

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Their footsteps echoed off the walls of the main corridors as Autumn and Hagrid walked along, all the way Hagrid showing her where her classes were and other main places in Hogwarts, such as Pomfrey's Hospital Wing. After they had been walking everywhere that Autumn thought that they could possibly walk to, Hagrid took her outside around the side of the castle.

"An' this," He said. "Is wher' weh play a lil' game call'd Quidditch." Autumn's eyes opened wide. _'So this is what a real Quidditch pitch looks like' _She thought. It was simply amazing, just like out of one of the wizarding books that she had brought, with the high hoops and the tall towers, it was magnificent. "Don' think tha' y'all be playin'… don' seem like the type." Autumn nodded.

"It's a bit… violent, for me." She said, making Hagrid think that there was no way that this girl would ever go around chasing different colored balls fifty feet up on a broomstick. She said this, all the while thinking of her Nimbus Elite up in her dorm, and how much she would like to get it out there sometime at dark. Nobody needed to know that she knew how to play Quidditch and that she could fly a broomstick remarkably.

"Well, classes shoul' be ov'r now… Migh' wan' to ge' back te yer comm'n room." Hagrid replied, shuffling on the spot. "I go' m'self some magical creatures te be takin' care o'. Come 'n visit sometim' if ye wan'." Autumn smiled and said a quick thank you, then headed back into the castle, suddenly knowing where every door lead and where every staircase would take her to. Just as she passed Snape's Potions classroom, Draco Malfoy popped out right in front of her. Not looking where she was going, she ran smack-dab into him. 

"Bloody hell." She said, brushing herself off on the floor. Draco's hand outstretched towards her and she looked up, smiling politely toward him. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going and I-…" She took his hand and was surprised at how strong he was as he pulled her up. She flipped her loose hair out of her face. "I was just thinking and I didn't notice that-…"

"Hey, it's alright." Draco said. "Wouldn't have been so lucky though if you happened to be Granger." He grinned. "Autumn, right?" She nodded.

"Draco?"

"Yeah, that's me alright. The sexy Slytherin himself." He spoke, cunningly. _'I've got this one in the bag.'_ He thought. _'She's alright looking, but kind of dumb.'_ Autumn giggled a bit, taking her gaze off of him shyly.

"Well," She muttered, very quietly and timidly. "I should probably be getting back to my common room, I see that classes are all over. Maybe I will see you at dinner." Draco half-smiled and walked off in the other direction as she headed off toward Gryffindor Tower, thinking about how much dumb luck she had.

****

Just as she walked in, she was verbally attacked by Hermione and Ginny, asking about everything. She held up both her hands in a surrendering pose, then walked about to the couches and sat, motioning for them to sit also.

"So, where've you been?" Ginny asked, curiously.

"Hagrid was showing me around the grounds, just so that I would know where all my classes are come Monday." Autumn replied. "I was just coming up here when I ran into Draco. Literally." Ginny laughed, automatically getting what had happened, and Autumn let her explain it to Hermione who laughed afterwards. She was the only one who knew that Autumn fancied Draco a bit.

"Dinner should be soon." Hermione said, changing the subject before Ginny could ask any more questions, and so that Autumn wouldn't let it slip that she maybe had a thing going for Draco. "I'm going to go study a bit more about that Crippling Curse before we go down."

"I think that I will join you." Autumn added. "I have a couple things that I would like to look up. Do you know anything about wands emitting red sparkles when you pick them up?" Hermione looked at her as if she were mad. "Never mind." She said, waving it off. "I'll be up, I have a bit of reading to do before Monday comes." Ginny sulked a bit; she wasn't into the whole reading thing. Just then, Seamus Finnigan came down from the boy's dormitories and she conned him into playing against her in Wizard's Chess, hoping that he wouldn't use his wand and wouldn't blow anything up. Hermione and Autumn walked together up the staircase. 

"Did you really run into Draco?" Hermione asked, with a large grin on her face. Autumn laughed, tucking a loose strand from her ponytail behind her ear. "So you weren't joking?" Hermione said, knowing that the answer was obviously yes. She let it be. "I must get my 'Moste Potente Potions' book back from Ron, he seemed to have spilled some type of potion all over his, ate itself, it did." Autumn grinned. 

"Sounds like Ron." She replied as they stopped at the boy's dorms.

"Ran into Draco, did you?" Harry asked, opening the door just as Hermione went to reach for the door latch. "Purposely, or not?" He asked, a diverse, non-Harry hint in his voice. 

"Come on Harry, you know she didn't mean it." Hermione replied. "Now, I need to get my book from Ron, do you have any clue as to where he might have put it?"

"Hermione. She's not dead and as far as we know, Malfoy doesn't have a hit out on her. Something's up."

"You know Harry, I'm right here. You can just ask me. It's not like he, or anyone is having a huge effect on me or anything." Autumn piped up, staring him in the eyes. Somehow, her stare always made the ones she was staring at look away. '_Must be the tigerstripes. Bewitched, I think.'_ Harry's mind said.

"As for you," He spoke, staring her back; his voice different from it's usual calm. "The only thing that you've had an effect on so far, is my reflexes." He threw the 'Moste Potente Potions' book into Hermione's arms and slammed the door. He turned around and slunk his back down the door until he was sitting on the rug. What had just happened to him? He placed his pale, uncolored face in his hands. Why did this girl hate him so, and why was he always so nervous around her?

Outside the door, Hermione and Autumn stood, staring at the wooden door that had just closed in their faces. They had one question on their minds. What's wrong with Harry? Hermione was the first to turn to speak.

"I think I'm going to head down to dinner now."

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What's up with Harry and what will happen after dinner? R/R PLZ!! I need some ideas!!


	9. Poking Noses

(Authors Note) Hey, here's the next chapter… things are going to start getting interesting for Hermione, Ginny and Autumn! (I'm so glad that everyone likes my story!!)

Disclaimers: I am still un-owning of HP. The only people I own in this chapter are Autumn, Johanna (based on my friend Johanna) and James (who is only mentioned). 

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After supper, Harry was still angry and right after dinner he ran back up to his dorm room and slammed the door so hard that the whole Tower shook. Ginny knew all about what had happened. Hermione had tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen, so now she, Ginny, Autumn and another girl, a seventh year Prefect named Johanna, were gathered in the middle of the common room, having interesting conversation.

"Did you ever find anything else out about those red sparkles?" Ginny said, after Johanna had finished telling a story about how obsessed she was with a Ravenclaw seventh year named James. Autumn laughed. This red-haired girl was a riot, as was Johanna. Hermione was pretty cool too. A bookworm, like her.

"Not yet, I'm still looking for things, I can't seem to find a book that has anything on them." Autumn replied to Ginny's question. "I'm also looking for something on good vs. evil wands, I mean, my wand is made up of Unicorn Hair and Snakeskin Scales. Ollivander said something about that being 'peculiar'." Johanna looked over at her, braiding her long black hair into miniscule plaits.

"I think I read up something about that once… I can't quite recall what it meant though. I remember it saying something about one of the elements disappearing, but that's about it." She went back to braiding, as Autumn thought for a moment.

"Any hot guys go to this school?" She plainly asked, changing the subject.

"You mean, besides Harry CrankPot-ter?" Ginny laughed and she, Johanna and Hermione broke into hysterics. 

"He seems like a stuck-up celebrity to me." She mumbled, her voice un-audible above the other three's laughter. Finally, with tears in their eyes, the girls stopped.

"Why, who were you thinking of?" Ginny asked, innocently.

"Well, actually, Draco Malfoy." Ginny and Johanna looked at her, dumb-founded.

"Malfoy?" Ginny cried. Hermione just shrugged as Autumn nodded and Johanna seemed to be pondering something. 

"Wait, do you want to have a _real_ conversation with him?" Johanna asked. Autumn looked at her strangely. "Go get changed, hun. I have a plan." Autumn looked down at herself. She was wearing her boring school robes and had her hair still up in a ponytail. She wondered how she was going to make plain, not ugly, but plain, old her into someone who Draco might like.

"Alright then." She said, and rushed up to her dorm to change. She was going to need some time.

"Johanna, what's this wondrous plan that you've invented?" Hermione asked her. "And are we going to get expelled or a detention for it?"

Johanna laughed again. "Only if we get caught. Now, go get the Marauder's Map and Harry's Invisibility Cloak. We're going to salsa with the Slytherins."

Hermione giggled at the thought of dancing with anyone from Slytherin. "Just a question, but with Harry in there, how are we supposed to rush in and take two of his most prized possessions?"

"He's not in there, he just went to the showers. Now go in there and get it before he gets back." She replied.

"What will you be doing meanwhile?" Ginny asked.

"Helping make Autumn look irresistible." She replied, heading up the stairs.

****

Twenty-three and one half minutes later, the four girls met up in the middle of the common room.

"Wow, Johanna. Great job." Hermione said, looking Autumn up and down. Autumn had her hair down for once, with flipped out ends, and Johanna had put on some pink shimmer eyeshadow to accent Autumn's green eyes. Autumn had added clear lip gloss and was wearing tight faded flare jeans with a black bohemian shirt, whose sleeves cut off at the elbow, leaving the rest of the fabric to hang down.

The four gathered themselves under the cloak and Hermione pointed her wand at the Map. "I solemnly swear that we are up to no good." A message popped up. '_Dragging someone else into this?'_ Then it disappeared, showing the map of Hogwarts.

"I know there's a secret entrance to the Slytherin common room," Johanna began. "But where?" The map showed the 'Johanna' labeled dot moving down the hallway and poking a picture of Salazar Slytherin right in the nose.

"Guess it's there." Ginny said to her.

"Right." Johanna replied, crawling out from underneath the Cloak. 

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked, confused.

"I'm a prefect, I can be out walking. Besides, I know how to get where we are going. Too crowded under there anyway. And bloody hot." She replied, flopping her braided hair behind her back, leading them out of the common room.

"Remind me again why we are doing this." Hermione said, halfway down the halls to the secret common room entrance that Johanna was leading them to.

"So Autumn can have a real conversation with Sir Draco himself." Ginny replied. 

"Here we are." Johanna said, poking the picture in the nose. "You guys go in. You know what you want to do. I'll be back in the common room when you get back." The frame swung open and they walked in, Johanna leaving them. They were in the back corner of the Slytherin common room. The only people awake were Draco and one of his bodyguards, Crabbe. 

"Mischief managed." Hermione said. The map cleared.

"This is perfect!" Autumn proclaimed, a bit too loud.

"Shhh!" Hermione said, covering her mouth. They sat down and listened to the boys talk.

"And that new girl. Should have been a Slytherin I think. Her mom's in Azkaban." Draco said to Crabbe, laying comfortably on one of the black leather couches. 

"Right, Malfoy." Said Crabbe. "Well, I think that I will be off to bed."

"I'll be upstairs soon." Draco replied. "I want to enjoy the fire heat a bit more before going into that freezer upstairs. Pity Goyle broke the heater."

"You're thinking about her."

"Am not!" Autumn giggled a bit. Hermione shushed her again. Crabbe thumped up the stairs to bed before Draco could put a spell on him, or transfigure him into a toad. Draco looked around, possibly to see if anyone was looking, then undid his school robes. Underneath, he was wearing a white muscle shirt. As he turned toward the fire, only Autumn saw the large bruise that covered his left shoulder. Then he ran his hands through his hair, mussing it up a bit, so that pieces fell in his face.

"Ohhhh…" Autumn and Ginny sighed. Hermione gave Ginny a look.

"What?" She whispered. "He looks hot!" Then went back to listening, and watching Draco strip in the middle of the common room. Then he kicked off his shoes and lay back again, looking gorgeous in his muscle shirt. "Autumn, everyone's asleep." Ginny whispered. "Now's your chance. No matter what, we can get out, so we will leave the cloak here for you. We can run up the hall to Gryffindor Tower to get back to Johanna, but you might need to take the long way." Autumn nodded. She did want to get to know Draco, and bloody hell, he looked damn hot right then.

"Okay," She said. "I'll do it." 

"All you have to do," Hermione ended, "Is walk out there like you own him. He's all yours."

Autumn flung the cloak off her and walked towards Draco. "Good luck." Ginny whispered behind her. "Good luck." Draco looked up from the couch.

"How the bloody-what? Autumn?" Draco stuttered. Hermione and Ginny raced out the picture frame. Autumn nodded, seductively licking her lips. "Damn, you're… I mean, how'd you get in here?" Draco scrambled for his robes, but Autumn pulled out her wand from her pant leg.

"_accio _Draco's robes!" His robes flew into her hands. "I'm not telling you how I got here and I'm not telling you anything about me, yet." She replied quietly, rubbing the fabric from his robes between her fingers. "You have to tell me about you." She locked her eyes to his, the honey gold brighter than usual. Draco just stared, his mouth gaping, but he sat, almost mechanically. So did she. "So, Draco. Tell me about you." He spoke for a little while about himself, his family, being a Quidditch seeker. Then again he asked.

"How did you get here? And tell me about you, I mean, I know that you run into people sometimes..." He winked after the last statement.

"I think that you know all about me, Mr. Malfoy. You probably think that since my mother was with Voldemort I am going to kill you." Draco gasped at Voldemort's mention. "But I won't. I'm not into cleaning up blood off of Slytherin rugs anyhow. But it's late. I must be back off to my common room." She felt like a different person just then. She was never attractive, but now sure felt it, and sexy. She stood up and went walking towards the cloak. Draco grabbed her arm.

"You'll come back, promise me." He had such an innocent look about him. Even though Johanna, Hermione and Ginny had warned her about him and how he could very easily lead people on, she knew that maybe… she loved him, or at least liked him an awful lot. "I've never gotten this attention from anyone that I've ever liked even a little, except well… Pansy Parkinson." Autumn looked into his pool blue eyes. 

"Yes Draco. I will." She grabbed the cloak and left. Then he remembered what his dad always said to him about his girls. Get some, and get out.

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What's going to happened between Autumn and Draco and is she going to go back? Why did Draco not want anyone to see him without robes or fancy hair and what's up about her wand? R/R please!!


	10. Seducing Draco Malfoy

(A/N) This chapter gets a little bit… fluffy for Draco and Autumn, but it's nothing that bad… yet. I know at the end it seems to go a bit fast, but if it doesn't then this story will end up wayyyy too long.

Disclaimers: If you haven't noticed, I don't own Harry Potter. The only characters I own thus far is Johanna and Autumn… and James, whenever he makes an appearance. But it's NOT JAMES POTTER!

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As she ran into the Gryffindor common room, she saw that Hermione, Johanna and Ginny were still up, playing Wizard's Chess to keep them awake. Just as Hermione whispered 'Checkmate', she sat down on the floor beside them and removed the Cloak. The three looked up, grinning.

"So, did you get knocked up by Draco Malfoy?" Ginny asked, giggling. Hermione stared her down.

"Not quite," Autumn giggled in return. "Although, he does want me to go back."

Johanna looked at her, curiously. "Well," She finally said, looking at her friends. "We have all week-end to figure out how to get you back there." Autumn passed the Cloak over to Hermione. "We'll just… _borrow_ this from Harry again, minus the Map."

"So… you guys know more about Draco then I do… I mean, how am I supposed to… _seduce_ him exactly?" Autumn asked, openly.

"You're not seducing him in that context… you like him, right? Still?" Autumn nodded and Hermione continued. "Just do what you'd do with someone you… like a lot." Autumn was glad that she didn't say love. Though she rather fancied him, she didn't want to say that she _loved_ him… she wasn't sure if she did.

"So, I'll be off to bed, thinking of ways that I could be seducing Draco Malfoy." Autumn replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She got up and walked up to the girl's dorms. Hermione looked at Ginny and Johanna.

"She doesn't see what a prat he is… but I don't know why. He's so dark and she's so… WAIT!" She cried. Ginny, for once, was the one telling her to shut up. "But, Ginny! He's so nice to her because _she's_ dark too, like him! Her mom's in Azkaban for Avada K usage!" Ginny stared, moronically as Johanna's jaw dropped.

"One more game?" Ginny squeaked.

****

Meanwhile, up in the boy's dorms, Harry was talking, but not very much, to Ron, his answers often just a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Ron was getting a bit annoyed.

"But Harry, why are you always so mean around her? We all know that you fancy her well. Maybe if you'd be a little _kinder _to her, then she'd give you a half-chance!" Ron spoke, his voice a bit annoyed.

"Ron." Harry uttered. Ron figured that was all he was going to say, then became a little surprised when he opened his mouth to speak again. "I can't help it. It's like I'm being taken over by something. I get all weak and depressed when I'm not around her, but when I am, I somehow blame her for making me like that, even though she doesn't know what the hell I am blaming her for. You don't suppose it could be because of You-Know-Who... do you?" Ron shook his head a bit hesitantly.

"Harry?"

"What?" He replied, fed up.

"I think you love her." Harry jumped up and tackled Ron off his bed onto the floor, held his knee onto his stomach, hard, and had his hand solid on his throat. His eyes bore into his, almost the way that Autumn's eyes bore into Ron's the first day at the Dinner Feast. Ron lay, motionless, staring back.

"I. Do. Not. Like. Autumn."

****

Just then, Autumn was up in her dorm room, thinking of the most erotic things that she could do to impress Draco. '_I feel like I have a very dirty mind.'_ She thought as her thoughts flowed to everything else. '_Well,'_ she figured. After confirming that she still thought that Harry was a stuck-up prat. '_I may as well be off to bed.' _She lay down, but couldn't stop thinking. Slowly she sat up, looking in the mirror. "What's wrong with me?" She spoke quietly. 

"_Something on your mind?"_ The mirror said. She didn't even flinch, as she was used to strange things happening all the time by now.

"Why is Harry such a prat?" She asked.

__

"People aren't always as you think they are, and they aren't always doing what you think they are." Then the mirror turned back, showing her own face again. She lay back down thinking of what the mirror could possibly mean, and fell into a fitful sleep.

****

All weekend, Autumn spoke to Draco and she and the girls studied Harry's Marauder's Map, snatched by Ron for them, looking for Hogwarts secrets. They found other entries to all the common rooms and shortcuts to classes. They even found, well actually Autumn found, but kept quiet about, a hidden balcony behind the fireplace. Only she could see her 'Autumn' dot move towards it, sprinkle the red sparkles that her wand emitted when she picked it up into it and walk in. _'That's what they're for?'_ She thought when she found it.

Soon enough came Sunday night, and classes would begin the next day as per normal. Near two in the morning, she shook Ginny semi-awake and spoke to her.

"Ginny? I'm going." Ginny mumbled something and rolled over. Autumn crept down the hall to the boy's dormitories. She tried the door, but it was locked. "_alohomora_." She said, pointing her wand, and the lock released. Sneaking around, she found Harry's bed and grabbed the Cloak off the post. She threw it over her and quickly left Gryffindor tower.

Sneaking into the Slytherin common room was easy enough, but finding Draco might take a little more time. She slinked up the stairs and found that the corridor was a lot like Gryffindors. '_Then, the guys dormitories are… here.'_ She opened the unlocked door. '_Right on.'_ It didn't take her long to find Draco, the only blonde sixth year. She walked up to his bed and sat on the edge. He stirred a bit. '_Think sexy, think sexy.'_ She told herself. She leaned over Draco and outlined his lips with her finger. His eyes slowly opened. He almost screamed, but Autumn clapped her hand over his mouth. He shut up.

"I told you that I would come back." She whispered, and took Draco's hand, leading him down to the common room. Draco couldn't believe this. Getting what he wanted would be as easy as pie. She sat him down on one of the leather couches and went to be seated on the other, the way it was before, but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to him, sitting her beside him. '_Okay,'_ She thought. '_If this is how you want it to be.'_

"I want to hear about you this time." Draco said, sleepily, looking so hot in his T-shirt and green and white Slytherin colored silk pajama pants. Autumn looked at herself, noticing she was still wearing her own pajamas, a fire-red tank top with red and gold striped Gryffindor pajama pants with a small lion crest on the front of her left thigh. She laughed.

"You know things about me that you shouldn't, Draco. I've spoken to you all week-end."

"There's always something that you don't know." He replied. She looked into his eyes, thinking that she saw something sly, but dismissed it.

"Those, usually are things that we don't need to know. I'd ask what's with the bruises, but you might not want to tell." She replied, lifting the edge of his T-shirt sleeve up to expose it.

"Just a little bruise from Quidditch. Nothing big." He said, pulling his sleeve back down. Autumn didn't quite believe him, but went along with it.

"So." Autumn said, holding a gaze on his eyes. His followed hers as she straddled the sitting Draco and traced his face with her fingers. His hands rested a bit south of her tailbone. He couldn't believe it. Was he being seduced? Would he get some? Autumn stopped, then leaning forward, kissed him deeply and passionately. Draco's hand ventured further south and he pulled her closer to him. '_Bloody hell, she's good at this. Too bad she's a bit slutty. I should be out of this in no time!'_ He thought. But his insides tingled. He didn't really… _like_ her in that way, did he? Just then, her hand moved in front of their lips. She moved off him, held his eyes, then left with the Cloak and a flourish, out the picture frame. Draco sighed, the looked up at the balcony. There was Crabbe. Laughing his ass off. Draco galloped up the stairs and put the tickling charm on him until he promised that he'd never tell. Then he went back to bed, all of this thoughts and plans flooded out his soul and into his mind.

'_She's supposed to be a pawn. Get some, and get out. Pansy needed proof I could get a girl, so that I could have her and Millicent Bulstrode could leave me the bloody hell alone. What would father say if he saw me with a Gryffindor? But I think that… I like her?'_ With that, he fell into a dream-less sleep, thinking about one sentence. 

'_I'm not ready to be in love.'_

****

Nobody heard about Draco and Autumn, even several weeks later. Hermione and Ginny would go off about it sometimes, only on days they knew that she had been with Draco, as she continued to visit him at night. Harry and Ron didn't even have a clue as to what was going on, though Autumn would speak frequently to Ron. But, still… little things made her think that Harry was still a prat, with his look-at-me-and-my-scar-I'm-the-boy-who-lived scheme. Soon, they would have another day off, for Thanksgiving feasting and parties, one of the first times that houses were allowed parties. It sounded like a good time to everyone. 

Meanwhile, all this time, Harry tossed and turned at night, wondering why Autumn didn't like him, but he pretended not to stress about it. He thought about Ron's earlier comments about him liking her, blowing them off as lies. He'd make small talk with her, he and Ron taught her to play Wizard's Chess. Somehow, some little thing always screwed things up.

In the dark of most nights at Hogwarts, when she wasn't visiting Draco, Autumn would walk through the fire with her Nimbus Elite onto the balcony and practice flying, tricking and even the Wronski Feint. But she wasn't about to do anything about making the team. Harry was captain. Though she loved Quidditch, and managed to get her dad to send back with Ginger a Quaffle to practice with, she wasn't about to mention her ability to fly. Playing her own Quidditch game kept her mind off of seducing Draco Malfoy. Little did she know that sometimes, Harry stood in the window and watched her, insanely jealous of Draco. Often, Ron would awake and see Harry sitting on the windowledge, knowing it was Autumn he was looking at, and knowing his words were true. Harry did like Autumn.

__

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So, what will happen between Autumn and Draco, and is she really alright at Hogwarts? Will she ever find out who Harry really is? R/R please!


	11. Save Me

(A/N) This chapter is just a bit of filler for the story, only because the real chapter is not quite ready to be up yet. It should be an alright chapter, but I need some opinion before I finish the next chapter. Things get a bit… fluffy… shall I say, but I don't know if y'all want any extreme fluffiness in the story, so I can edit it out if you want. Please, in your reviews, tell me what I should do. Thanks, Luv yahz all. * Yes, I do realize I sometimes use words that don't exist… i.e. Wallside. *

Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter. * I'm out of creative ideas… I should pay someone to write these for me. *

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Harry woke, sweating and breathing hard in the early morning of the day before the Thanksgiving festivities. His black hair flipped into his eyes, he brushed it away, fearfully. Someone was in his darkened dorm room, and his scar was burning like mad. A shadow was slinking around his room, seeming to be looking for something as he grabbed for his glasses, rubbing his forehead vigorously. It wasn't his scar that was burning; he just had one bloody hell of a massive headache. So much of a headache that he couldn't even see properly. He watched the person a moment, whom of which had a black robe on with a hood high over their head. It looked almost like a Dementor. 

Harry snatched his wand from the bedside table, sitting up with his back against the bed's wooden headboard. He was capable of doing Expecto Patronum, a ridding spell of Dementors. Just then he shivered a spine-tingling shiver. Dementors always made the rooms they were in cold and lifeless.Then he noticed that the temperature in his room hadn't changed, it was still as warm as it had been, he was just a bit warmer. It wasn't cold at all. He moved his legs up and hugged his knees, then his bed creaked from the movement. The person in the hood turned and his forehead seared from the pain that wasn't coming from his scar, his eyes became more and more blurry. The person moved their hands up to their hood, ready to remove it. Harry knew that Dementors only removed their hoods before performing the Dementors Kiss, which would suck the life out of him. Somehow, the Dementors still made him afraid, he had never gotten over his fear and he knew right then he didn't want to die.

'_Save me. Save me.'_ He thought, panicking, his wand still in hand, but he being to stiff from fear to move. Ron was still asleep in the bed on the other wallside. He pointed his wand before whoever it was could remove their hood.

"Ex-ex-expecto patron-um-um-m." Harry mumbled, fearful for his life. A half-wisp of a silver shadow exited his wand, then quickly disappeared. The character turned, facing him and slowly and dramatically glided towards him. His wand dropped to the floor as the hood was removed.

It was Autumn.

"Autumn?" Harry whispered, without his 'had-become usual' annoyance in his voice. She nodded, distant. It was then that he noticed her smell, it was fragrant like nothing that he had ever smelt before. Yet, that must have been what was giving him the headache. He touched his forehead, lightly.

'librado doloras' Autumn spoke. The pain departed and his eyes became clear again. Her auburn-red hair reflected the moonlight as she sat. 

"What do you think you are doing?" Harry asked, irked that she had put some incantation on him.

"I…"

"And what were you looking for?" He demanded in a harsh whisper as to not wake Ron.

"You… moved your Cloak." Harry looked at her, feeling stupid for staring at her, the smell overcoming him. His Cloak? Why did she care if he moved his Cloak? And how did she know where he usually kept it in the first place?

"Yeah, I mean, Peeves was in here earlier and went through all our stuff. Little bugger, he is." Autumn nodded, getting up and moving towards the door. "Why do you care if the Cloak was moved?" Autumn stared back at him, the gold in her eyes glowing in the dark. She backed towards the door, and just as Harry went to get up to seize her, she flung it open and ran out, down the hall to her dorm. Harry walked back to his bed, Ron mumbling something meanwhile.

'_The Cloak? She was in here looking for the Cloak? But of course… She has to have some way to get out of here at night. She must have been sneaking around in here many a night to get my Cloak.' _ Harry shivered again. The thought of Autumn in his room at night was a bit scary. _'But that smell… I have to find out what that is…' _He clicked on the Muggle radio beside his bed that Hermione had enchanted to work inside Hogwarts grounds. The proper music reminded him of home, the Dursley's, that he wished it wouldn't, but it reminded him of somewhere, other than where he was then. 

**** 

Autumn wasn't sure what had made her go into Harry's dorm, but when she had returned to hers, huffing and puffing, she knew that he probably hated her more then than he had ever. When he had asked her those questions, she knew that she couldn't tell him the real reason that she was there, he'd think she was mad. But Harry was the only person that she knew that was close to Quidditch, besides Draco and maybe Ron, and she knew that he had the House Cups in his dorm room from years past for whatever reason. She couldn't let Harry know that her mom was a Gryffindor Chaser the same year that his dad was the Seeker, until she got kicked out and had to be home-schooled.

Harry was the closest to her past, but didn't even know it. Or so she thought. He was closer to her than she'd ever know. And she definitely couldn't tell him that she was just back to return a piece of parchment that she'd 'borrowed' from his desk that she had found rather interesting that had been written, quite obviously, about her.

Save me/From your obviousness I am withheld/Someone told me once I loved you/Thought it was lies/That truth I did despise//I can't hold it in, longer/Yet you hate me/Or you act so much like it/I'm just in denial of loving you/Why do I feel like I do? 

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Just filler, I know… Not much mystery, mystique… nothing. But that's alright. Please review with a reply about the fluffiness for the next chappie.


	12. Crystal Tears

(A/N) Alright, I'm still not too sure what to do about this chapter, although I did get some e-mails and stuff back about the story… * tnx FireGoddess, I looked over the story a bit and decided I needed some funniness, though the story is mostly very serious as of now, lol * I think I will calm the fluffi-stuff a bit, as to not scare everyone away. I have also been finding that there are way too many hidden things in the fic, but that's probably just because I have all the teeny tiny hidden things all written out, and its overwhelming remembering them all!! * I'll shut up now. And excuse my language through-out this chapter.*

Disclaimers: Yeah, so I don't own Harry Potter. I'd love to own him and the whole series and have all that money…. Yum, money!

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A few days later, at night, the Thanksgiving house parties had been rambling on for about an hour or so before Ginny, Hermione and Autumn ever showed up. Nearly falling into walls as they entered the common room, holding several bags, Harry and Ron immediately knew that they were loaded. They grabbed Seamus Finnigan and ran over to the girls, one boy each holding up one of the girls, Harry, unwillingly holding up Autumn. After a few moments, Ginny and Hermione were able to stand without Ron and Seamus' help, but Harry held on to Autumn as he pried the Peach Shnapps bottle out of her hand, against her will. Ginny picked up the bags, and ran shakily almost into a couch, and took everything out and put it on the table in the middle. 

"IIII can't waaaiittt untilllll thee end of the yeaaaaarrrr balllll!" Ginny sang as Hermione read aloud everything. All the Gryffindor common room became silent as everyone listened to Hermione. Harry continued to hold Autumn up.

"Vodka lime, Alcoholic Butterbeer, erm… beer? Ginny, we bought just beer?" Hermione asked. The whole common room cracked up.

"Ron loves Just Beer." Ginny replied, slightly slurring. Ron galloped over to the table and picked up one of the bottles and opened it, chugging half. "Ron!" Ginny cried. "Save some for Seamus and Harry!" Ron grabbed another bottle, opened it, and passed it to Harry who shuffled Autumn's weight onto one side.

"No, Ron. I really don't think-… I mean, what if McGonagall came in, I mean, she said she'd be checking up on us…"

"C'mon Harry, just one." Harry took the open bottle and sipped it. It was alright. Meanwhile, there was about twenty bottles on the table and Hermione was still reading.

"Strawberry Da-da… what? Daqueerie? Strawberry Daqueerie…" The common room shook with laughter as Ron snorted and half his beer shot out of his nose.

"Pass one over." A voice said, above the laughter. It was Lavender Brown. Then she looked over at Parvati Patil and Johanna who had just joined the party. "Better make it three." She giggled. Hermione continued to read as Ginny passed the bottles back.

Autumn opened her eyes, not even noticing that they had closed. She looked up at who was holding her upright. It was Harry. She leaned off him a bit and decided that she could stand. Harry wondered if she could talk.

"Where and how did you get all this?" Harry asked. Autumn turned around, looking at Harry's visible scar and the beer bottle in his hand. She just stared for a minute, blinking, possibly because the room seemed to be filled with salt water and because she doubted that Harry had just said 'Where in hell did you giddle-hiss?'. Still staring, she replied.

"Alohomora?" Then she fainted into his arms. Harry looked at the auburn-haired girl in his arms, then looked around for Ron or Seamus to help him. When he saw that Ron was into his second or third beer and Seamus had found the Hard Lemonade, he put his own beer down and hoisted Autumn up into her dorm room, closing the door gently. He then returned to the party, but not before he pulled a blanket over her and whispered a goodnight. Looking off the balcony and walking down the stairs, he noticed that the music was getting louder and the only people who weren't into the booze were Hermione and Ginny, who had probably figured that they'd had enough, amazingly.

"Where'd you get all this?" Harry asked, taking a swig of his 'just' beer. He wouldn't usually drink if he had the chance, but after all that had been happening lately, he thought he needed to get away a bit.

"Snuck into Hogsmeade and used a fake I.D." Ginny replied, semi-sober. "McGonagall's." She said, knowing his question.

"I don't even want to know how you passed for her." He replied, then walked over to Ron, Seamus and Neville, who were, totally fucked up.

****

Autumn awoke and all was quiet in Gryffindor tower. She had a splitting headache, but could remember pieces of what had happened. Something about drinks and fainting and Harry. Then she drew a blank. Looking at the time, she figured that she had some time to visit Draco. It was 1 30am, good enough for marauding. She tried to get up, stumbling a bit. She was still buzzed. She grabbed the Cloak that was left in her room from a few days before as she scrambled about.

"_Serves you right."_ Her mirror said, as she closed the door to her dorm. Everything was cleaned up in the common room, probably by Hermione's magic. She flung the Cloak over her as she grabbed a hidden bottle of vodka from the offside of a couch and traveled to the Slytherin common room.

Upon reaching Draco's bed, she sat on it and traced his lips as she had done so many times before. He opened his eyes, smiling as he saw it was her. She kissed him softly, then took his hand and once again, led him out, only stopping once so that he would put out a silencing charm. Then, halfway down the stairs, he stopped her.

"Are you drunk?" He asked. Autumn gazed into his eyes, stupidly shaking her head. "You… you all… Gryffindor had alcohol?" He cried. 

"I only had one WatermelonBerryStraw Da-Somethingofanother…" Autumn said, then silenced him by placing her lips over his whilst placing the full vodka bottle into his hand. Nearly falling backward, Draco held onto the railing of the stairs with his free hand. They made it down the stairs a moment later, but Draco pushed her up against the wall on the left-hand side of the staircase, one arm on each side of her shoulders. She placed her hands on the rear of his Slytherin crest boxers, laughing.

"So you're a cheap drunk." Draco spoke softly into her ear, then kissed her deeply. Pulling away after what seemed like forever, Autumn held him back and stepped away from the wall, moving more towards the couches, licking her lips as if to say 'Come Hither.' Draco chugged the bottle of vodka in nearly ten seconds, then threw it onto one of the leather couches.

"Come, Mr. Malfoy." She replied, as Draco slowly stepped towards her. They kissed again, Draco's hands moving up her red polo shirt that offset her hair. Autumn deepened the kiss, moving her tongue into Draco's mouth. They continued kissing as they moved onto the floor. After several moments, Autumn pulled away and spoke into his ear. "I'm not a cheap drunk, Sir. I like wine and caviar and anything bloody offensive... or is that expensive?" 

"You don't even know what you're saying." Draco said, kissing her again. Autumn attempted to pull off the black muscle shirt that he was wearing as they did so. Draco pulled off her a moment, one arm on each side of her head, staring down at her. "Leave the shirt." He said, an edge in his tone of voice. Autumn raised her eyebrows, but was too drunk to care. She left it.

'_This was a piece of cake.' _He thought. Autumn stared back at him for a moment, then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back down to her. '_Though, I'm not supposed to feel like this. I can't feel like this...'_ Then the alcohol began to kick in and put him into overdrive. 

****

Autumn woke with an even more throbbing headache not even an hour later. The clock told her that it was 3 43. The couch beneath her seemed to be _moving_… but it was just Draco. She was lying beside him with her head on his chest and she could her his heart slowly beating. Autumn looked around, running her hands through her hair. Draco was only in his boxers and muscle shirt and she was in her bra and jeans. Did she? '_OhmyGod, OhmyGod.'_ She thought, noticing she was still in the Slytherin common room. '_I did. I mean, we did… I mean, what?'_ She got up and grabbed her clothes, trying not to wake the sleeping Draco, and ran, blinded by tears back into the Gryffindor common room, only stopping to grab her saxophone then racing out the fireplace onto the balcony.

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Bwahahahaha… Why is she so upset about her and Draco? Please R/R with any ideas and such! Sorry about the wait for this chapter that probably didn't even make sense!!


	13. Broken

(Authors Note) Alright, before you all started to hate me more for writing that last chapter, I figured that I should probably get out this chapter, it's kind of like part 2 to Crystal Tears. I am listening to what you are all writing and what you want, it is just kind of hard to fit what everyone wants in, and all the relationships that everyone wants to work. Sorry guys, I can't please you all, although I will continue to try!! DON'T HATE ME!!

Disclaimers: If you haven't already guessed, I really still don't own Harry. Or Draco, for that matter. Don't sue me, I don't have the money, and I'm sure that my parents would make me pay.

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Harry awoke when he heard someone running into the tower. He sat up, rubbing his temples. He couldn't remember exactly how many of those Just Beers he'd had earlier, but he figured that if his head hurt this much, then Ron was going to feel like a Bludger was being repeatedly beaten into his head. Even Seamus and Neville wouldn't hurt as much, possibly because they just stuck to the hard lemonade. Harry blinked a bit, then put on his glasses. He wondered who else was up at this time; maybe they'd share in his early hangover. But, nobody was there when he got out of his dorm and down to the common room. He thought that he heard _music_ through the room and it seemed to be coming from the back of the _fireplace?_ Harry slowly walked towards the blazing fireplace, grabbing a spare school cloak from the seat of one of the couches. There were red sparkles all over the floor in front of the hearth, but they were gradually disappearing. The music was getting louder. A voice in the back of his head spoke to him.

__

"Pick them up and throw them into the fire, Harry. They'll turn it auburn red, then run in, and fast, before they disappear…" 

He thought for a moment, then did as his mind told him to. It took him to an outside balcony just behind it, where snow was falling in the early morning, and the music was even louder than before. Harry leaned against a railing and listened for a moment. Then he noticed who was making the music. It was Autumn, playing her saxophone. The jazz song she was playing sounded so sad and mournful, something that she herself never seemed to be. When her face turned towards the moonlight, as she played so soulfully, detached from the rest of the world, he saw the tears falling down her cheeks. Snowflakes fell all around him as Autumn's owl, Ginger, flew down onto a balcony post beside him. Autumn finished her song and wiped away tears, looking for the owl.

Autumn didn't know what type of feeling she was feeling right then, but all she did know was that she had done something very, very wrong and the results might not be good.

Harry, meanwhile, couldn't believe that it was her. All of his hate seemed to be thawing out.

"Ginger I don't kno-…" She turned. "Harry… HARRY?" She cried out, in surprise, causing more tears to fall down her rosy cheeks.

"That… That was amazing." Harry spoke, stunned. "How do you play like that? I mean, since when have you played?"

"Well, thanks for the compliments, Potter." She sniffed, walking over with the saxophone held onto her neck by a strap, to pet her owl, then walking back over to where she was standing before, she began shaking a bit. "Just got a chill up my spine." She said, never once looking at Harry. She put her saxophone back in its case, occasionally wiping away a tear, then sitting down on a step leading to the main foyer of the balcony.

"You're freezing." He said, going to sit by her, wrapping the cloak around the both of them. The familiar smell encircled him once again. '_I've got to find out what that is.'_

"No shit, it's winter." She said, looking over at him, edgy, and moved a bit farther away. 

"I don't bite." She grinned a bit as Harry wiped a stray tear off her cheek. They sat for a moment, and then Harry spoke. "What's wrong?" He asked, ever so innocently. Autumn looked over towards him. He wasn't acting like a complete asshole as she usually thought he was. Then again, she was never alone with him. She didn't know if she could trust him enough to tell him, but she knew that she had to tell someone. Harry moved his right arm just behind her, on the deck, to balance himself. She could feel his warmth, and sense of security. It seemed like a moment that she and Draco should have been in. But it was Harry beside her, her 'stuck-up celebrity' shield still up. He appeared so caring right then, and she couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst into a rush of tears and spilled everything to him. Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Autumn had…_ screwed_ Draco, and was upset about it.

"I mean, I was drunk Harry. I didn't have a whole lot of control over what I was doing, it just sort of… happened." Harry nodded, and placed his arm a tad bit closer to her. She noticed, of course. "Now everyone is going to find out and I'll be dubbed as a slut… I just don't want to get pregnant like my mom did around when she was my age. It happened almost exactly like the scene for Draco and I." Harry raised his eyebrows a bit. 

"I thought you didn't know anything much about your mum." He replied.

"That was one of the things that I knew since I was a little girl, that was." Harry smiled a bit, understanding. "Y'know… you aren't as much of a stuck-up celebrity as I thought you were." Autumn said, getting up. Harry laughed as the auburn haired girl retrieved her saxophone case and walked back towards the small, hidden door that would let her back into the common room.

"And you can't hide yourself forever." Harry replied, getting up also. Autumn looked at him as if she was a deer in headlights and bolted into the door, without opening it. The crash was thunderous. Harry galloped up towards her as she lay on the balcony, seeming dead to the world. "Autumn?" Harry whispered, concern in his voice. Autumn's eyes fluttered and opened. A second later, when her mind registered that it was him, she quickly rose, opened the door and ran in as fast as she could without saying a word. Harry ran after her, but found her nowhere in sight as he entered the common room. A bit of dawn light began to shine through the windows. He sighed, then returned to his dorm, wondering.

****

It was nearly the end of the day after everything Thanksgiving, in Transfiguration, when Autumn walked in after Professor McGonagall, who was in her Animagi form of a cat. The class stopped chattering instantly at the notice that the teacher had returned. Harry looked back, noticing immediately the tears that were welled in Autumn's eyes. Her owl, Ginger, was perched on her shoulder, looking rather sad also. Autumn sat in her seat beside Hermione and Harry overheard her whispering.

"Draco broke up with me." 

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Okay, what's going on here?! LoL. Hope this chapter makes you happier than the other one did. Don't be mad at me, I still luv yahs all. R/R!


	14. Beginning of the End

(Authors Note) Alright, I do realize that all of the information in this chapter might not be EXACTLY accurate, but there's nothing more I can do, I'm just writing from my knowledge. Here's where some secrets start to be spilled out. Looketh! O' faithful readers, Alas, a chapter thou hast to read! Thou art faithful, Beith good and review! ZOUNDS! I am speaking in Shakespeare's English. Stupid English class. Thou art boring.

Disclaimers: I don't own anything remotely Harry Potter related or Post-It Companies or things like that. Yes that had to be there. No I am not creative enough to make these funny.

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Almost all the time after Draco had broken up with her and the large part of the Christmas Hols, Autumn had herself surrounded by piles of books in the library, reading them all more than once-over. When she wasn't in the library, she would lock herself up in her dorm room, Muggle music blasting bloody loud out of the bewitched radio. Harry was one of the only other Gryffindors who were staying at Hogwarts for the holidays, but he had reason. Autumn could have gone home, but if she would have, she wouldn't have returned. Harry assumed that the Muggle music was a way for her to be almost home. In mind at least. 

Harry had become used to the Muggle music by the end of the Hols and had memorized the lyrics to some of the songs that had appealed to him the most. The few odd times that he would pass Autumn (she seemed to be avoiding him, but she was probably scared to spill another secret to him), he could smell her fragrance again and it was driving him mad that he didn't know what it was.

As for the other aspects of the Hols, Harry received a single Post-It® note from the Dursleys' and Dudley had already written a memo on it for him. 'Eat Dirt.' Then there was a book, 'The History of Quidditch' from Hermione, candy of all sorts from Ron, plus his usual knitted jumper from Mrs. Weasley and certificates for the Leaky Cauldron and Flourish and Blotts from Ginny and Seamus. He hadn't bothered to ask why they bought him a Christmas present together. By far, his best present had to be the personalized practice Snitch that Autumn had gotten her father to send to him from London. He couldn't remember Autumn ever opening her presents though, but even so, every day he saw her until classes re-commenced, she was wearing something new and her owl Ginger, would often drop in, sporting a miniature gold bracelet around her left foot.

The first day back was a riot and the first class the Gryffindor sixth year's had was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin whom everyone was glad had returned. He was the first DADA teacher that they'd had for more than just one year, even if it wasn't in a row. Harry sighed as Autumn walked in the classroom, she was dressed exactly like all the other female students, but she seemed to have a different aura about her that day. Probably because this first class back happened to be with the Slytherins. Bloody hell, just their luck.

Autumn let out a mediocre sigh as she sat in her seat in front of Harry. She hadn't had much to day to him all Christmas Hols, but now she seemed to have loads to say to Hermione. Ron poked Harry's arm and pointed over to the Slytherin side of the room. Draco had just entered and was walking up to a rather large group, mostly of girls. Harry looked over at Autumn, whom had also noticed Draco walk in, and for good reason. His blonde hair wasn't slicked back as usual, several pieces were left to fall in his face, and he wore black plastic-framed glasses, the ones that models and rich people usually wear.

He took a seat next to Pansy Parkinson, and in noticing that Autumn was looking at him, he put his arm over top the backing of Pansy's chair and encircled it around the back of her, grinning. Autumn twisted around to look at Ron and Harry so fast that she nearly fell out of her chair. Hermione turned a second later. She saw what Autumn didn't, but wasn't about to tell her; she would have killed herself then and there. As Autumn started herself in a semi-quiet rampage of cursing Draco, Pansy, anything Slytherin, alcohol and her luck, Professor Lupin walked in.

"Hello class. I'm assuming you've all had exceptional Winter Holidays." The classroom buzzed with different answers. "Anyhow, I've decided that today's lesson should be done, even though Dumbledore thought I should hold off on it. Knowledge is power, I believe. Today's lesson will be about the unforgivable Curses, but namely the curse Avada Kedavra." The class shuffled at the mention. Autumn was the only one who didn't flinch.

Back in fourth year, Harry was the only student who'd had contact with the Avada K personally, until Mad-Eye Moody had spoken about it, but Harry assumed that since Autumn's mother was a dark witch, she'd probably done something along those lines too. Lupin walked towards the board at the front of the class then stopped.

"I'm sure you'll all remember what I'm going to say." He said. Draco snorted, his arm still around Pansy. Lupin ignored him and began telling the class about the origins of the curse names, their curse use, Imperio, Crucio and Avada Kedavra, and simple facts. The students sat, somewhat mesmerized. "Now, Avada Kedavra can only be done by very powerful wizards and witches." Lupin spoke, digging around in his desk for his wand. Upon finding it, he spoke again.

"To prove my point, underneath your desks is a jar with cockroaches that have been each put under the engorgement spell to make them a twofold bigger." Harry picked up the jar from underneath his and Ron's desk with the cockroaches that were two times bigger than the usual size. Ron jumped. It was apparent that he liked cockroaches as much as he liked spiders – not at all.

"Now I, as a teacher, am mostly capable of doing this. I am capable of killing a cockroach but I am not strong enough to fully kill something more powerful say, a wizard." He placed one of the roaches on his desk and watched it scuttle around a bit. "Watch and learn." Lupin pointed his wand at the trying-to-hide cockroach. "You can run but you can't hide!" He laughed. The class watched him intently. "_Avada Kedavra_!" He cried. Everyone jumped. A blue-green light emitted his wand and the cockroach let out a piercing cockroach squeak, then flipped over, dead on its back. Lupin pocketed his wand.

"Cool." Ron said.

"Now, I'm not expecting anyone to be able to do this, and to prove my point on how strong you have to be, you're all going to try to use the curse. Every one of you. When I point to you, bring up your roach jar and yourself. We will work from there." Lupin started at the Slytherin side of the room, with not one person capable of killing their cockroach. Draco had tried at least ten, if not more, times with no luck. Lupin pointed to Hermione. She rose properly with the jar in hand. The she tentatively took one out, placing it on Lupins desk. Standing back, pointing her wand, she cried out.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Nothing happened. After Hermione couldn't kill it, the rest of the class seemed to give up. Hermione was most likely the strongest witch in their class. Both Harry and Ron failed the test with flying colors.

"Autumn?" Lupin spoke. Autumn got up, not looking at anyone. The roach that Ron had used was still on Lupin's desk, cowering underneath a piece of parchment. Autumn moved the parchment to Lupins desk chair, talking to herself all the while. "Now, Ms. Fortshamen, let's see you give it a try." Lupin said. Autumn backed away from the desk, wand pointed at the engorged bug. Her whole body became rigid and she cried out in the most horrific, non-Autumn voice ever.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" A strong, surging green-blue light overcame the classroom, then faded. A few red sparkles were left on the floor in front of Autumn's feet. She took a step forward, looking at the cockroach. It wasn't twitching or moving in any way. A few of the red sparkles encircled the corpse of the dead cockroach, then disappeared, but not before Lupin saw. It was dead. She looked towards the Professor whose jaw was dropped to the floor.

"Bloody hell." He breathed, breaking the silence. The class stared at Autumn. This was no joke. Just then, a memory came to Lupin's mind. "Autumn," he spoke. "Do you mind if I recall the class a story?"

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Alright, so maybe it seems a little un-realistic. But it could happen. What's this story that Lupin's going to recall to the class… maybe Autumn's anger towards Draco was the only thing that made it possible for her to succeed… R/R!!


	15. I'll Be

(Authors Note) I recommend that you download or listen to the song "I'll Be" by the Edwin McCain Band before reading this, unless you don't want to, then never mind. (Thanks for the thought FireGoddess)

Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter or the relative things that go with Harry Potter. I also don't own the song/lyrics "I'll Be" by the Edwin McCain Band. I own everything else, I think.

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Autumn stared at Professor Lupin as if he'd just changed into a werewolf. She wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about, but she was sure that if she said no to him, everyone in the class would think that something was up. She nodded and Lupin coughed for the classes attention. They looked towards him, Draco staring at Autumn in disbelief. She could do Avada Kedavra and he couldn't. And Hermione couldn't. What was up with that? Lupin cleared his throat and began talking.

"I suppose we've witnessed something by the name of an enigma, a puzzle of sorts. Except that this enigma is within another enigma." Lupin paused, waiting to see if the class understood. When he was satisfied they did, he continued. 

"Autumn's mom is in Azkaban as most of you already know. Her mom was in with the Dark Lord and killed an innocent wizard under his power by using Avada Kedavra. When Autumn turned eleven, she was caught. The thing that gave her mother away was the black and red sparkles that surrounded the body in the shape of lips. She was the only known witch to have that type of reaction from her wand when she did a spell. It was photographed and named the Kiss of Khate, headlines in The Daily Prophet reading "Khiss me Khate." Now, Autumn's mom had been kicked out of Hogwarts, a rather large deal, and was unaccepted into Durmstrang, Kolinnikov and every other wizard school on the continent." He looked up at his students. Hermione raised her hand to speak but Lupin waved it down.

"It was a bit of a worry that Khatelyn Fortshamen, or you might have heard of her as Khatelyn Moorlen, had passed her knowledge of the Dark Arts onto her daughter, Autumn." He nodded towards Autumn, who buried her face in her hands, almost screaming like a Mandrake pulled out of the earth. "Or to her husband, Johnathon. So it was decided that not one person related to her thereafter would be allowed in Hogwarts or any other surrounding wizarding school."

"What's the enigma then?" Seamus asked, curiously.

"The enigma," Lupin replied, a wolfish howl adding to the suspense. "Is that there was never much heard about Khatelyn Moorlen until way after she got mixed up with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Our other enigma is in our class right now, and it's something that I'd call the Autumn Enigma. Autumn would have been too young to learn anything of the curse, so it really couldn't have been her mother that has taught her this. The mystery is how she knows. The mystery is in the red sparkles her wand emits." Suddenly, everyone in the class looked over at her.

"The Boy Who Lived and The Autumn Enigma." Autumn whispered to Hermione.

"Sounds like destiny."

"Or fate."

****

The rumors were flying around Hogwarts like the ghosts that evening at dinner, most eyes followed Autumn wherever she went. What had happened in the class was supposed to be a secret left to only those who were there. So of course, everyone in the school knew. Dumbledore had been showing up a bit more often that day, seeming as if he wanted a word with her. When she had walked in the Great Hall, he spoke to her.

"Autumn," He began in his soft Dumbledore tone. "The powers that you possess are extraordinary. But you must be careful around Hogwarts with skills such as those. Anything of the smallest proportions could be blamed towards you. Please be careful. Don't go looking for trouble. Enough of it will be able to find you."

Even so before that, but after the class, she had told Lupin about her wand and what Ollivander had said about it. Lupin's reply was short and metaphorical. 

"Now that you know that you can do Avada Kedavra, you can go either way. You can go right and stay in the good world, be an Auror and fight the evil, or you can go left and be a Death Eater-…" 

"An' follo Volde-Volde-m-o- He-Who-Mus'-No'-Be-Named." Hagrid finished for him, standing in the doorway. "Care o' Magical Creatures is wait'n, Autumn."

"One moment, Hagrid." Lupin had replied as Hagrid left. "For once, Autumn, It's going to be the wizard who chooses the wand, not the wand who chooses you." She had left after that. She had also left early from dinner, but she wasn't the only one. Harry had followed not far behind.

****

Autumn was feeling curious about then and ventured down to the boy's dorms just as Harry was walking past, humming a song. He was half-delirious after that, he was able to smell her scent again. Having a thought and giving a quick glance behind him, he darted to the girl's showers.

He walked in, gaping as if he expected something different from the guys' showers. Everything was the same, down to the minilockers with each student's name on the door. Autumn's locker was just above Hermione's.

"_alohomora_." Harry whispered, then thought. _'I should have brought the Cloak.' _He had to work fast. He sniffed all her bottles of shampoo, all her body sprays, but found nothing that even smelt close to her. Then he saw a teardrop shaped bottle in the corner with iridescent blue liquid. Shower gel. He opened the bottle and sniffed. That was it. It was her. He removed a small vial from his robes, placing a few drops in, reading the name of it. Ming Shu. The vial was supposed to be for his Potions homework, but he didn't care. He'd snatch one of Ron's extras.

Meanwhile, Autumn had trashed Harry's desk, finally finding the song. One bit more was done, in quilled chicken scratch. She read it, then ran back to her dorm room to think.

Closer came it then slipped away/The beginning of the end/Then it went away again/Leaving me without the best/What's this pain within my chest?//

****

She heard Harry thumping down the hall a few moments later, the Gryffindor tower still quiet. He was humming a bit of a Muggle tune. She crept out of her dorm and stalked Harry down the hall, hiding just outside the open doorway. He placed the vial on his desk and switched on the Muggle radio, beginning to sing.

'_Blimey,_' Autumn thought. '_He can write and he can sing.'_

"The strands in your eyes, that color them wonderful, stop me and steal my breath. Emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky, never revealing their depth." He took a breath as the song paused for a split-second. "Tell me, that we belong together, dress it up, with the trappings of love, I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips, Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above-…" With the last few words, Harry grabbed his wand out of his robes pocket and then sang into it powerfully. "And I'll be, your crying shoulder, I'll be, love suicide, I'll be, better when I'm older, I'll be, the greatest fan of your life." Hedwig and Ginger were sitting on the windowledge, hooting happily at Harry's song. Autumn gradually made her way farther into the doorway, flicking her hair out of her eyes as Harry began with the music again.

"Rain falls angry, on the tin roof, as we lie awake in my bed. You're my survival, you're my living proof, my love alive is not dead." He turned, eyes closed and belted out, "Tell me, that we belong together, dress it up in the trapping of lo-… Autumn?!" He opened his eyes then noticed Autumn was in the doorway.

"Someone else have talent?" Autumn asked, the music still playing in the background. 

"When did you get back here?" he asked, clasping and unclasping his hands nervously. Autumn was too mesmerized to say anything else. Harry _could _sing. She ran as fast as she could back to her room, nearly bashing into Hermione in her mad rush. She threw herself onto her bed as the mirror spoke quickly.

__

"Harry not who you thought he might be? Feeling a tinge of truth?"

"Oh, shut the bloody hell up." She replied, throwing her school hat at it.

****

Draco was scheming. Autumn had more power than he did, and was possibly stronger in force than a teacher. He had to be rid of her but make it as un-obvious that it was his plan. Just then, the obvious came to mind and he quickly began to write in note form, pulling off his school robes as he paused to think, once again revealing his bruised, and supposedly Quidditch-battered arms. He copied Autumns writing from previous notes she'd written to him.

"Dark. Silencing charm on the room. Cloak over. Wand in hand."

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Mooha. What's Draco up to? We'll have to wait to find out now, won't we? R/R!!


	16. The Perfect Evil

(Authors Note) Thanks for all the reviews everyone, you all rock and I luv yahz… Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I've been really busy with school and explaining my 'C' in math to my parents, lol. Enjoy the chappie. I'm not sure if I like the idea of FanFiction and FictionPress or whatever, but I suppose it's going to be better than it sounds. Look for **Lies and Autographs** and **Loneliness Cries **up on FictionPress soon enough.

Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter. I swear I tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

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Draco lay in his bed, covers pulled up high over him. It was cold and well past midnight. He had finished the note only moments before, he'd had no idea that it would take him this long to copy Autumn's writing twiceover. He'd had to make two final copies just in case something happened to one between then and the next day. Plus, one looked better than the other did. He rolled over, facing towards his desk that the two-copied notes lay on, his rare eagle feather quill beside them. The next day would be his day of action, the day when the note would be planted. The school would still think Autumn was of high risk and when one of the professors's found the note (of course they'd think it was her) it was almost for certain that she'd be made to leave. With her out of the way he'd be… free to be himself again.

Just then, a thought came to Draco's heinous mind. Autumn was Dark. And she had power. She also hated Harry Potter, as all her Gryffindor friends knew. He blinked, then a smile spread across his face. He knew a way he could make her friends all turn from her and not persuade Dumbledore to let her back. Draco rose from his bed, his stocking feet padding along the cold floor. He clicked on his desk lamp and picked up his quill and wrote, then with a broad smile, went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a grand day.

****

Hermione, Ginny and Johanna were all sitting that night in Hermione and Autumns dorm, talking about what had happened. Since neither Ginny nor Johanna had been there, Hermione recalled the whole story as Autumn sat in a slump on her bed.

"You can do Avada K?" Johanna inquired, almost un-believing. Autumn nodded, solomnly.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Autumn replied, tired of all the talk about her mystic power. The others nodded in agreement.

"How about guys… and the End of the Year Feast and Ball… and food! Um…. And guys! And James…" Johanna closed her eyes and sighed. "James…"

"Y'know, Jo… _someone_ is going to thing that you're a bit… obsessive." Hermione spoke. Ginny nodded and laughed.

"Or in love with… Harry's father." Her voice dropped to a whisper. The room became silent. Then, at the though, Ginny and Johanna cracked up for no reason. Hermione laughed at Ginny and Johanna, but then at the notice of Autumn, who was staring blankly at the walls and the gingerfeathered owl who sat sleeping on the desk, stopped. After a moment or two, the others too noticed Autumn.

"Something wrong?" Ginny asked. Autumn blinked and looked at each of the three girls.

"Harry." She said. "He can write."

"Well, bloody hell Autumn! Why didn't you tell us? I'd have bought him quills for Christmas along with a bloody _sticker._" Johanna replied.

"No, Johanna… I mean… okay." She spoke, changing her voice to a mere whisper. "Here's what's been going on." The girls all gathered on Autumn's bed and leaned in, listening as Autumn told them about Harry finding her, his song he was writing and him being able to sing. 

"Well, he does fancy you." Hermione spoke at one point.

"You think?" Ginny replied. "It's a touch obvious. He's so stupid when he's around you." Autumn nodded.

"But the answer is in you, Autumn. Are you over Draco and ready to move on?" Johanna looked at the large grandfather clock in the nearest corner. "Sparrowfart. I've got to go meet James." Johanna rose from the bed.

"Where? In a broom closet?" Ginny commented, rising with her. Hermione snorted loudly. Johanna just rolled her eyes. "I've got to be off to bed." Ginny said, and left as Johanna followed her out. Hermione looked back at Autumn who seemed to be in a trance.

"Is there something between you and Harry that I don't know about? You usually tell me everything."

"I don't think…" Autumn sighed. "But there might be."

****

It was third class before lunch. Draco was standing just outside of Snape's dungeon classroom, waiting to speak with Snape about his unfinished Potions homework. Draco never really enjoyed these chats that came too often, but it was the perfect time for note-planting. He dropped the folded parchment note just as he saw Snape walking towards the door. It opened just as Draco placed himself in front of the note, pretending not to notice. He leaned against the wall casually.

"So, Draco." Snape purred. "What's this all about? Need help in something… seeking revenge?" Draco leant off the wall.

"Actually, Professor… I wanted to ask you about the Potion's homework."

"Did you, Malfoy? Well, I'm sure it's correct if it's you that did it… even if it's not then it's still marked correct… anyhow, ask."

"Professor, that's exactly the thing. It's not done." Draco spoke. Snape opened his mouth then he paused, noticing the piece of parchment on the floor behind Draco. 

"What's this?" he snapped, picking it up and thumbing it open. His eyes searched the paper.

"What is it, Professor?" Snape looked up and crumpled the note in a closing hand.

"Come with me, Mr. Malfoy. We're going to Dumbledore." Draco gasped. He couldn't have known it was him who wrote it… could he? "Well, come on now, Draco. Where there's a will, there's a way. No matter if you are a Gryffindor or a Slytherin, falseness, lies and evil are unacceptable."

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A bit of a cliffhanger there I suppose. You don't know if he's caught or not now, do yah? LoL please R/R… sorry this chappie is short but the next one won't be…

REVIEW!


	17. I Will Remember You

(Authors Note) Hey everyone, thanks for all your reviews… I'm getting a little low in the motivation section, so I need some encouragement!! Please keep reviewing and all those who aren't… please do. I don't have a lot of time lately to work on my fics, but I am doing what I can so that you all will have something to read if you get bored or whatever. Thanks for the support you've all given me so far. Luv yahz.

Disclaimers: * sings to the tune of the KitKat song * Give me a break, Give me a break…

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Draco wasn't sure if he was caught or if his plan was working as Snape led him to Dumbledore's office. Snape walked at a quick clip, Draco half running to keep up with the greasy haired professor as to not step on his long black robes. Snape smugly spoke the password.

"Chocolate Frogs." The gargoyle turned and he and Draco proceeded to the office. Upon reaching the doorway, the two could hear a loud, cunning voice lecturing Dumbledore about Dark Witches.

"And now. Try to tell me now that she doesn't belong in Slytherin. That little witch-" tiffed the voice. "Is going to be finding an awful lot more trouble around Hogwarts." 

"Sir Malfoy, I assure you Ms. Fortshamen is posing no threat to our school or the students that reside within."

"Professor, Malfoy." Snape spoke, Draco following behind him as he entered.

"Severus. Draco." Dumbledore said. Lucius nodded his head towards the Professor, but lifted his cane and pointed it towards Draco, mouthing words. Draco just shook his head.

"I think there's something here that you might like to see." Snape replied, un-crumpling the note from his left hand. Dumbledore read it once-over. Lucius walked behind the large desk and read over his shoulder. Dumbledore looked up, adjusting his glasses on his nose.

"Bring her to see me." Lucius smiled, self-satisfied, and left. "Back to class with you, Draco." 

****

Autumn wasn't sure yet why Snape had brought her to Dumbledore's office. She'd left nothing in class to Snape's orders. He had led her up to the doorway, muttered something that sounded awfully close to being 'Tsk. Tsk. Trouble, I knew." Then left with a swoosh. She entered Dumbledore's office as he looked up from reading The Daily Prophet, motioning for her to sit as he folded the paper and placed it next to where Fawkes was sitting, preening. Autumn sat as the phoenix fluttered over to her, landing on the chair armrest. It seemed as if she'd been sitting for an eternity before Dumbledore spoke.

"Do you have any recollection of this?" Dumbledore said, pushing the parchment towards her, across the desk. Leaning forward, she read the words that seemed so much like her writing and even included her characteristic signature, the curled-crossed 'A' and the intertwining 'sh' in Fortshamen. At the end was even the small dot she always placed. Yet, the words were not hers. She looked up at Dumbledore, whose white beard rest on deep royal blue robes. He sat far back in his chair.

"Even as a joke, Autumn, this is very serious matter, especially with all the events that have happened these passing days."

"But, Professor, I-I… I never wrote this…" She looked at it again. The note looked exactly as if she had.

"This is a very serious and complicated matter. We are speaking in the means of death. A threat to death is a severely punishable offense. Therefore," he clasped his hands on his desk firmly. "For the safety of the school… I must ask you, to leave." Autumn gasped. It wasn't true. She was being punished for someone else's work. Someone else's set-up.

"Professor, there must be some mistake… I mean, I'd never do anything of the like…"

"Autumn, it is precautionary. I must do this for the student's safety. And even for the teacher's protection. I'm sorry, I truly am, but with your powers, your past and now this… even as a joke…" His voice trailed off and he shook his head. Autumn stood, Fawkes hopping down to claim her seat. Glancing at the note, she stood dumbfounded for a few moments, then she left, fleeing for the common room. It wasn't her, though the note portrayed it to be. It was in the ink, the falseness, as it was in her blood for her to know.

****

Autumn entered the common room, unsure of whom to tell first. The tower was silent so she figured classes were still on. Passing randomly by the boy's dormitories, she saw that Harry was kicking back at his desk, feet up, the Daily Prophet opened with a quill in hand. He must have had a free period, or have gotten kicked out of Snape's awful class, which would have been a nice break. Pausing near the edge of the door, she wiped a tear from her eye. She wasn't sure why seeing Harry made her cry, but though she wanted to tell him what had happened, she couldn't. She could only stand in the open doorway for a mere second before slinking off to her dorm room to pack. Again.

****

Autumn was still packing when Hermione entered the dorm room before dinner. Most of her things were packed up, but her Nimbus Elite, wand and books were still around, as well as Ginger, who had only just returned from the Owlery.

"Autumn? What's with the packing?" Hermione asked, gazing around the half-empty room. Autumn looked over to the doorway where Hermione was standing, library books in hand.

"I guess I was never meant to be here, Hermione. Though I have power, not even that can get me out of this. That's what got me into this." Autumn plunked several schoolbooks into her trunk as Hermione stepped to her side, looking confused. Autumn was no longer wearing her robes, but her normal, back home clothing. Her hair was tied back as par normal and her wand wasn't hidden under her pant leg.

"What… what happened?" Hermione asked as Autumn threw in the last of her books. Her wand was placed on the top was she slammed her case shut. Autumn looked at Hermione, teary-eyed. 

"Someone wanted to be rid of me. Someone got a CopyQuik Quill and copied my writing or something and made it look like I wrote a note wishing death upon… someone. But Hermione, you know… I'd never do that…" She sighed and told the rest of the story, then ended. "Dumbledore said that as a precautionary move, I must leave. Hermione gasped.

"Does anyone else know?" Hermione replied to Autumn's monologue. Autumn mumbled a 'no' as she looked about the room for anything she'd forgotten. A soft knock came to the door as it opened. It was Professor McGonagall.

"Your father has been notified, Autumn. He will be receiving you in a local English shop near your home. We shall use a type of Apparation that can be used by wizards of your age in accompaniment of an aged witch or wizard. Are your things ready?" Autumn nodded as McGonagall casually flicked her wand towards Autumn's case. It disappeared. "It will be waiting at your house." Autumn shook her head, staring at her feet. "Well, come on then." McGonagall motioned out the door. Autumn sighed and turned to Hermione.

"You've got to tell the others what happened. Tell Ron thanks for the chess games, Ginny… Johanna… James and Seamus, tell him luck with Ginny…" Hermione raised her eyebrows. Autumn gave a soft laugh. "And Harry… tell him I'm sorry." Hermione couldn't bear it any longer. She pulled Autumn into a tight hug as salty tears flowed down her cheeks. "And you, 'Mione… thanks for believing in me." She whispered into the girl's ear. As they both pulled away, Autumn turned to the broomstick on her bed. "Do me a favor." She said, picking it up. "Give this to Harry." Hermione took the broom in hand.

"I will." She whispered. Autumn turned to the Professor in the doorway who was patting tears from her eyes. Autumn walked, stiff-legged. Just as she reached the doorway, she quickly turned back to Hermione.

"I left a book on your bed… s'about wands and magical items. Thought you might like it." Hermione nodded, sadly. "Maybe you and the girls can find out what my wand means." She went to turn to leave again then turned back. "Oh, and Hermione… the truth is in the ink, as the true power is in your blood." The she turned back her final time and vanished, Ginger flying after her. Hermione collapsed on Autumn's bed in a heap of tears, the broom still in hand.

****

Autumn felt a thunk as she landed. The three walls around her made the space tight and the door before her was locked. Several clothing hangers were hanging from hooks and Ginger had somehow perched herself on one, hooting at the mirror to the left of her. She was in a shop dressing room. A soft tap came to the door.

"Are you alright in there, dear?" Autumn un-latched the door and was staring into the eyes of none other than Professor McGonagall in Muggle clothes, looking like the clothing store clerk. Ginger hopped to Autumn's shoulder as she replied.

"Y-yes ma'am." She then dropped her voice. "Professor, I do believe there's some mistake in this whole thing. I've got to go back to Hogwarts." The professor smiled sympathetically.

"Dumbledore's word is the law, Autumn. You know that."

"Ma'am!" A voice called.

"Your father is here." McGonagall pointed to a man who waved, as she left to help one of 'her' customers. Autumn took a deep breath and left the dressing room. As she passed by a full-length mirror on her way to her dad, she paused and looked at the red-haired, green-eyed girl in the reflection, with an owl perched on her right shoulder.

"I will remember you." She spoke to the image, then proceeded into the warm, waiting arms of her father.

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Yeah, I think that most of you thought Draco was caught… guess he wasn't was he? How is Hermione going to tell everyone about Autumn and will Draco feel even the slightest bit guilty?

ReViEw My WoNdErFuL pEoPlE!


	18. Dark Is Dark

(Authors Note) I'm still deciding what is going to happen, so don't blame me if things get a little confusing. I hope that you all are still liking this story, besides the fact that some of the plot has been twisted and very un-expected things have been happening… Luv yahz all still. Thanks for the reviews. * This chappie is for Tara, the HP obsessive one. * **ATTENTION** – My parents have decided that they are cutting back on my computer time… ie. Less time for me to write/update… please bear with me!!

Disclaimers: I own not the Harry Potter-isms.

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Hermione rose from Autumn's bed nearly an hour after she had first thrown herself onto it. Autumn had been one of the best friends that she'd ever had. She tried to subside her sobs as a light knock came to the door. A green-eyed, messy-haired teen peered in.

"Hermione?" Harry whispered. Hermione wiped the tears casually from her eyes. She wasn't one to cry in front of people. "What- what's wrong?" That set her off again and she brushed past Harry, heading for the washrooms, but he grabbed her arm and pushed her back into the room, plunking her down on Autumn's bed. Hedwig flew in after him.

"Harry…" she sobbed. Harry sat beside her and put his arm around her heaving shoulders.

"Hermione, what happened?" Harry said once more.

"Bloody hell, Harry… Autumn, she-she-she's… g-gone." Harry was taken a bit aback.

"Wh-what?" Another knock came to the door. This time a red-haired boy burst in, babbling.

"Bloody hell, Hermione! Did you see what-" he paused. "Why's everyone so glum?" he sat down on the floor in front of Hermione and Harry's feet, his red hair spiked up in chunks. He had probably been out playing Night Quidditch again.

"Ron." Harry spoke. "Autumn's gone."

"Where? To detention? To the hospital wing? Out for a walk with Seamus… wait that's Ginny… oh hell, Harry! Don't tell me she's dead!"

"No Ron!" Hermione and Harry yelled in unison. Hedwig hooted loudly.

"Wait, Ginny's gone out somewhere with Seamus?" Harry replied.

"Yeah, they kinda like each other but they don't know if they wanna go out or not so they're spending so much bloody time together you'd think they'd of figured it out by now…. And I mean-"

"Shut up Ron!" Hermione sobbed. Harry turned to her again.

"Where's Autumn?"

"She-she got sent home. A-a no-no-note was found, s-sup-supposedly made by-by her about…" she finished telling them everything.

"Bastard." Harry spoke, then flew out the door like a snitch trying not to be caught.

"Where to?" called Ron.

"Dumbledore's." replied a faint voice. Ron climbed up on Autumn's bed to sit by Hermione.

"Pretty messed up isn't it?" he whispered. "I don't think it was really her. She'd never turn against us like that." Hermione nodded, wiping away another stray tear. "Tell the others, alright. When you feel a bit better." He kissed her softly on the forehead, then rose. Hermione grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

"Where are you going?" 

"To Dumbledore's to find Harry." Ron replied, taking her hand and kissing it before he left. Hermione flopped back on the bed when he did. What was that all about? Hedwig hooted and nipped her ear before she too left, flying out the open window.

****

Harry could sense Ron's footsteps catching up with him before he could hear them. The chase just made Harry run faster. Since Ron was already tired from playing Quidditch, Harry reached Dumbledore's much faster. He burst in, galloping past Professor Sprout like a rogue Bludger. Dumbledore peered up from the papers he was reading, his half-moon spectacles slid half-way down his nose. 

"Ah, Harry. What may I do for you?" Ron burst in just then, breathing heavily. "Hello, Mr. Weasley. Joining us?" Ron nodded and slid into a chair, sighing.

"Where's Autumn?" Harry demanded in an unexpected tone. Dumbledore held up one hand.

"Peace, Harry. Autumn has left. Hogwarts is not a place for her." Hermione, Johanna, Ginny and Seamus opened the door just as Harry replied.

"Hogwarts," He hissed, "Is her home."

"Harry, her home is back in the country with her father. I'm assuming that one of you knows what happened and told her friends." Hermione stepped forward.

"She told me, Headmaster Sir."

"Would you like to see the proof of the crime?" He asked them. All of them nodded except for Harry, who was pacing angrily around the room. Dumbledore opened a desk drawer and retrieved the parchment, handing it to Hermione. As she read it, Dumbledore sat back in his chair.

"Oh my God." Hermione whispered.

"Now, Harry," Dumbledore spoke to the angry boy. "Even though you've had many a times when you've come here angry… why does her leaving bring you here now? I can see reason for these five," he paused, "But I thought you were sworn enemies." Harry ceased his pacing.

"Somehow," he whispered, barely audible. "I thought so too." Then, running his hands through his hair, he stalked out of the room. Hermione handed the note back to Dumbledore.

"How do you know it was she who wrote this, sir?"

"Can anyone else copy her writing so precisely?" He replied. Hermione shook her head.

"Thank you Professor." She said, and left, the others casually following behind her. When they reached a fork in the corridor, they went mostly separate ways. Ron headed back out to the Quidditch pitch, Ginny and Seamus headed up to the library for some more 'studying', Johanna went off to her Prefects room and Hermione, remembering the broomstick Autumn had left for Harry, went up to her dorm to get it.

When she picked up the broom from under the bed, she spoke to Autumns mirror. "Where is Harry Potter?"

The mirror swirled into many colors and then finally gave show to Harry's location. He was out near the Quidditch field. Hermione took the broom and stood out on the windowledge, the freezing-cold air from the open window surrounding her. She mounted the broom and kicked off, flying the Nimbus Elite down to a sitting Harry. She'd never flown much before, but the Elite made the flight quick and easy. Just as she landed behind Harry, she could hear him speaking Parseltongue to a snake lying before him. The language was strange, she could never figure it out, no matter how hard Harry had tried to teach her. What Hermione was hearing was nothing compared to what Harry was saying.

"Hi-isss…. Slaaahh… Haaaahhh-sss… Ssss-laaaahhss…" Hermione always found it strange to listen to Harry speak like that. Suddenly, he turned. "Snake told me you were here." He spoke.

"Yeah, I just came to give you this. It's from Autumn. She passed him the broomstick as he stood up.

"It's… a Nimbus Elite." Said Harry, dumbfounded.

"Autumn told me to give it to you." Harry hopped on the broom and flew up into the night sky just as Hedwig landed in front of a gazing Hermione. "Oh, hello Hedwig." She said, kneeling to pet the snowy owl. Hedwig then dropped a piece of parchment on the covering of snow. Hermione opened it as Harry landed from speaking with Ron in the air. Hermione looked up.

"What is it?" Harry asked. Hermione passed it to him.

"A copy of the note."

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So, Hedwig got them the note… What's Hermione going to do with it? What will happen if Harry finds out it was Draco?

ReViEw!


	19. Living Proof

(Authors Note) Hey, I hope that you guys all like this chapter. Things should be wrapping up soon here, and I will be able to start some of my new stories. I hope that you are all still liking this story… even more so than you did when you first started. Remember, review or I get sad… j/j. This chapter is going to be longer than most of the others to make up for my lapse in… story-writing. Luv yahz all my wonDERfUL fans! You are my fans, right?

Disclaimers: Everyone has a thing… what's your thing? Mine's creating FanFiction and not owning Harry Potter…

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Harry and Ron both woke up to a loud thunderclap and the great castle trembling with the weather. It was a dark morning; Harry didn't even know what day it was. He'd lost track of time back on Tuesday night when so much had happened, but so much hadn't. As he sat up, felt around for his glasses, and put them on, he came across the folded parchment note. He unfolded it and read it for the first time since Hedwig had brought it to Hermione. It was still reeking of lies and screaming for someone to find them out. The thunder clapped again as a bolt of lightning shot for the ground outside the far-wall window.

"Still looking for answers, Harry?" Ron spoke, also sitting upright. Harry looked up, the note still in hand.

"How about an answer to what the date today is?" Ron laughed.

"Saturday. Go back to sleep." Harry continued to study the paper as the clock chimed six. "You're up at Hermione's time. Speak of the devil-…" Hermione burst into the room.

"Good." She said. "I was hoping you might be awake. I need to see the note. Now." Robot-like, Harry handed the note to Hermione, noticing Ron's jaw was dropped almost to the floor. As Hermione scanned the note, Harry waved down Ron's gaze and laughed silently as Ron turned the same red as the Gryffindor house color.

"Erm, 'Mione, shouldn't you have possibly gotten dressed _before_ you came here?" Harry spoke. Hermione looked down at what she was wearing for a split second. A tight red tank top with slinky gold pajama pants. She turned back to reading.

"I hope I haven't offended you." She replied sarcastically, not looking up. "You know, I don't think this is the note that we looked at while we were in Dumbledore's office. It seems so… untouched." Ron rose from his bed, walking over to a studying Hermione, giving Harry a quick smile. Harry, in return, gave him a thumbs up.

"What do you mean, 'Mione?" Ron stood behind her, reading over her shoulder. He felt her lean back against his body.

"The note in Dumbledore's office was much more used and read. It was crumpled in spots, but not at all smudged like this one."

"So, what are you saying?" Ron asked, looking over at Harry with a grin plastered on his face. He put his arm on Hermione's side.

"That you're naff." She joked.

"Wh-what?" Ron said, taken aback. He removed his arm from around her.

"You know, dumb, stupid… moronic even. Naff." Ron backed away. Not noticing he was hurt, Hermione continued talking. Her voice dropped as she remembered Autumn's saying. "The truth is in the ink as the true power is in your blood. It's in the ink. The answer's in the ink." She paused for a moment, then commanded Harry. "Harry, go into my room and get the owlfeather quill off my desk. Be careful not to wake Ginny." Harry rose from the bed and prowled out the room in stocking feet. The door clicked behind him, signifying his absence. 

"So, you think I'm naff now, do you?" Ron blurted out, quite insulted. He was standing near the west wall of the room, the shadows from the lightning cracking on the floor in front of him.

"You quite obviously did not get my whole point, Ron."

"You think I'm dumb, stupid, moronic-…" He ticked off the names on his fingers. Hermione walked towards him after replacing the note on Harry's nighttable.

"Like I said, you quite obviously did not get my whole point."

What was your whole point then? That I'm a bloody bugger as well as naff?"

"Ron," she replied, her gaze dropped to his bare chest. In an entirely non-Hermione move, she placed her hand on his abdomen and began rubbing the perfectly formed muscles. "My whole point is, Ron…" her voice diminished to a whisper. "That you're so naff for not seeing that I fancy you. Hell, every time you walk past me, I near go mad." Ron smiled as he brushed a stray piece of hair from her face. For a moment everything was quiet, then a huge boom of thunder made Hermione jump onto Ron, and into a light, yet passionate kiss. A mere second later, Harry opened the door, quill in hand.

"Did I miss something here?"

****

Hermione still turned red in the face every time she spoke to Harry or saw Ron. She and Ron weren't officially a couple yet, kind of like Ginny and Seamus. By Tuesday night, exactly a week since Autumn had first left, Harry had grown steadily more and more impatient with Hermione. He wanted to know what she had been doing all this time with the note, though she had said that she knew it was a copy, and with the quill he had fetched. She'd studied them both a bit the day he'd walked in on her and Ron, she even wrote a couple of lines on his spare parchment. After about her fourth line however, she'd ran out of the room, seeming to have found a lead, but neither he nor Ron had heard anything more about it. Yet.

Night had drawn and the usual gang of three was seated in the sunlight of Hermione's dorm. She was positioned at her desk with the usual accompaniment of her quill, parchment, books and tonight, a magnifying glass. The guys were playing a dice game they'd absent-mindedly created named Wizards Six. It was played by rolling two dice and if you got a six then you got to put the number of spells that were on the other dice on another player. They'd first created it to practice class spells, but they sometimes now played it when they were bored. Not soon into the game, Hermione cried out what they'd been waiting to hear.

"I've got it!" Ron jumped up, waiting for Harry. He then noticed Harry lying on the ground. Hermione turned. "Mobilicorpus?" Ron nodded.

'_finite incantatem' _The strings that were tying Harry together were removed. He too raced to Hermione's side.

"I think I've got something. Look at the ink in the copy and compare it to the ink of the sentences that I wrote. The ink in the copy is too pure and the writing quality is very high. This was not written by an ordinary quill, nor a CopyQuik." She explained.

"But Hermione, it could have been Autumn. Just because the quality is different-…" Ron began, slightly confused by everything.

"The quill I wrote the sentences with is… well, was Autumn's. I'd borrowed it the day she left. The quality doesn't match her quill." The three exchanged glances.

"So." Ron started. "Who has a high quality quill and extremely pure ink?"

"You'd have to be rich to have them both. Most wizards," Hermione began, showing them the owlfeather quill. "Prefer the cheaper owlfeather. Especially writers or artists. You use an owlfeather, don't you Harry, when you write?" Harry nodded. Everyone in the school had found out somehow that he wrote poetry. He figured it was from a part of his Transfiguration homework when he had to write a rhyming spell. "So, who would insist on writing with something this expensive?"

"A teacher?" Ron questioned.

"I don't think a teacher set Autumn up like this." Hermione replied.

"Draco." Harry muttered. "Draco. The bloody bastard wanted to get back at Autumn… fits the part. I'm going to beat that bloody git's face in-…" Rolling up his sleeves, he stormed out of the room, muttering and cursing. Hermione and Ron gave each other a quick look that confirmed Harry's real like for Autumn, before taking off after him. Harry was fuming as her speedwalked down the staircase, Hermione and Ron following close behind. He had his head down, not looking at anyone or anything. Hermione and Ron could see what Harry couldn't. He was about to walk past Draco.

"Hey Potter. Where's your girlfriend?" Draco called out just as Harry walked in front of him, at first unnoticing. Ron and Hermione were directly behind Harry as he replied.

"Gone, thanks to you, you insensitive git." Harry growled between his teeth, then sent a forceful blow to Draco's immaculate face. He felt his fist connect solidly with Draco's jaw and he knew that he wasn't going to be able to leave this without a fight. Draco was sent flying backwards, hands sliding across the rock floor as Harry collected himself, ready for more. Draco raised himself from the ground and spat blood onto the floor as he stalked towards Harry.

"Okay Potter. Now it's on."

"Harry, don't fight him." Hermione spoke. "We don't even know if it was him."

"It was." Harry hissed, eyes glinting like a knifeblade. "And he knows it." Draco then took a step forward, one hand brushing back his hair, the other reaching into his pant leg. As he pulled out his wand, Harry knocked it out of his hand with a quick chop to his wrist.

"You want a real fight, huh Potter?" Draco spat again as the two circled. "I'll give you a real fight." Draco swung to Harry's face, but he ducked and delivered a quick but vigorous punch to Draco's head, sending blood flying over them both. Draco's hands flew immediately to his blood-spurting nose. "Damnit, Potter." He cried out.

"That'll teach you not to fuck with people. Maybe now, people will see the real Draco Malfoy for what he is. A bloody coward." That hit Draco harder than any of Harry's punches. When Harry was taking a quick glance down the corridor, Draco poised himself, broken nose, sliced hands and all and then threw his whole body into a punch that smashed bulls-eye into Harry's face. Harry wasn't thrown back as Draco was, but flew a few feet to the side, stumbled maybe five unsure steps, then collapsed to the floor, unconscious. 

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Mooha! We've got a bit of a 'quarrel' going on between Draco and Harry… and Harry knows it was Draco, or so he thinks. What's going to happen now??

RevIEW!!


	20. Knowledge to Power

(Authors Note) Sorry that it took me so long to update, but I've been really busy with my 'baby'. In class we have to have a bag of sugar/flour or an egg as a baby for a week and mine is sugar named Ethan Silas Harry. Harry as in Harry Potter. Actually, I'm making a scrapbook about him and his 'father' is Harry Potter. Quite amusing. Anyhow, enough about what's going on… on to the story!

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IMPORTANT Yeah, I realize this chapter might be kind of like the one with Autumn and Draco… yeah. This really does have a point like that chapter did, so don't go leaving me messages about how this chapter sucked. This all really does add to the story… I'm not joking.

Disclaimers: Do you have nothing better to do then go around and see if people say that they created Harry Potter? Ah well, I guess if it pays you well, do it…

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Harry opened his eyes to a voice that rang to him louder than the loudest bell. The cackling voice subsided as he fell, spinning downwards towards a pit of dark flames; a dragon pit. It was Draco that must have done this, or so he thought, while he was knocked out. It was a fiery hell he was spinning into, the heat swimming under his sweater collar like water from a lake. Tears of sweat dripped down his neck as he let out a petrified yell, seeing the spears that were protruding from the bottom of the pit. He hoped that Hermione and Ron would find a way to get back at that hideous git, and find the truth as to what happened to Autumn. He looked down for a mere second, feeling almost sick to his churning stomach. Several slayed dragons were lying at the bottom of the pit, bleeding and screeching, struck by the pointed sticks. Scorch marks covered the walls of the pit, his arms failing to reach the edge, but the closer he got, the farther away it moved. Just as he thought that he had touched the wall, the blood-covered spears spun fast towards him and struck him, one through his cheek, one through his wrist, and another, right between both kneecaps, leaving him laying spread-eagle. As death bled through his body, a voice spoke over him.

"Harry?" It seemed so questioning in his death. He tried to move, but the dragon spears had him pinned as pain seared through his whole face.

"Harry, you've got to move." He felt a slight push on his shoulder, but he was speared to the ground, immobile. The voice became more distant then. He knew for sure he was dying.

"Harry?"

"He's dreaming, 'Mione. Let him be. He's been hurt exceedingly." Harry wanted to scream with relief. It was only a dream, but the pain was real and he couldn't wake up. He just wanted to call out to Hermione and the other, whom he thought was Ron, to wake him. Suddenly, his eyes flew open.

"Harry!" Hermione cried. But Harry didn't reply to her. His eyes turned glassy, his breathing lessened and he looked absolutely mad with fear. Hermione touched his ice-cold hand as his forehead broke out in a chill sweat. Harry flinched as his eyes rolled back in his head, the whites staring directly at Ron.

"Oh hell." Ron murmured, then Harry shuddered and fell limp, the whites in his eyes brightening so much that they looked as if they were glowing. Harry could hear what the two were saying to each other, but his ability to understand it was deteriorating, and pictures flashed before his eyes, connected by flashes of lightning and booms of thunder that crashed with a force overcoming the messages of Hermione and Ron. Then, ever so suddenly, he was being pulled backwards from behind his bellybutton, almost like travelling by portkey. Once again, his eyes flew open with fear, but this time he knew where he was and relaxed. Madame Pomfrey was busying herself with closing a peculiarly small hunt-green vial as she whispered to Ron and Hermione.

"Harry's dying."

****

Harry woke a day later, normally. He knew where he was. Night was falling on the Hospital Wing as he looked around, then noticed in the shadows at the end of his bed, sat Draco.

"Draco?" Harry's voice cracked as he spoke. "What the hell are you doing here?" Draco held up a bandaged hand as he stood. As he entered into the moonlight, Harry saw the bandages that covered his face. As Draco got a bit closer, Harry saw that there were tears mixed with them.

"Took it a step too far Potter?"

"Fuck you, Draco. It's not the first time I've almost died."

"Harry, listen. I came here to say… I'm sor-… I feel awful." Draco knelt beside Harry's bed.

"Well, at least you know what happened to you, Malfoy." Draco looked at Harry a bit confused. "Yeah, I mean you know that you got knocked around, sliced your hand and got your nose broken. All I know is that I'm stuck here and my wrist and jaw hurt like dragonfire."

"Harry…" Draco looked down to the moonlit floor, his newly flop-styled hair in his face and his plastic rimmed glasses edged with tears and a new bruise that couldn't have been from the fight. "It's near Valentine's Day. Do you have any idea how long you've been knocked out? About a fortnight."

"And you're still 'hurt'? And what the bloody hell are you crying for?"

"Potter, there will be no telling anyone that I was crying. And hell, lose your bloody edge!" Draco spat.

"What the hell's wrong with me you insignificant git?"

"Harry, my punch was much more fatal then your two were. I've taken a type of karate called Chip Wang for awhile now for… reasons." Draco's gaze softened. "I hit center on your jaw and it slid to an uppercut to your nose and cracked a bone chip up into your brain. It's possibly going to star a brain hemorrhage, but it hasn't yet. The potion to heal it is very difficult… Pomfrey and Snape are working on it…"

"Oh great, now I will die. I'll be the Boy Who Lived and then died from a bloody bone chip. You've got too much goddamn knowledge Malfoy. Or so you think."

"Harry, you _are_ dying." Harry was taken aback and sunk into his white-sheeted bed.

"I'm what?" he sighed. "I'm dying?" Draco nodded.

"Harry, I'd make that potion if I knew how but… oh hell Harry, I'm so sorry." Draco buried his face in his hands. "I've always hurt you so much, but I never meant to _kill _you… And it was all about Autumn, wasn't it?" Harry caught that as being a little too cocky.

"Like hell, Draco. You damn well know it's not."

"But hostile, Harry? I'd only admit this to you, but I did really love her, no matter what anyone tells you. I loved her, but loving her made me scared and I was so scared that I had to get out…. I've never loved anyone before… and never had anyone love me back. Not even my own father."

"Touching, Draco."

"Lose your goddamn tip, Potter and listen to what the bloody hell I'm saying. I did it. I got her send out. But I _loved_ her."

"So you admit it." Harry replied hastily. "You got her kicked out of here." Draco nodded. "Do you regret it?"

"Hell yes."

"Then get her back here." Draco gave Harry a half smile and stood up. "Not just because I'm dying, but because you love her.

"And you say that you don't love her Harry. It's obvious you do. But anyhow, she'll be back by the end of May. The End of the Year Ball and Feast are then. I'll tell Dumbledore. If he hears the truth from me then maybe he'll believe it… and maybe I'll be able to stay, so I don't have to explain to my father…" Draco replied, half out the door.

"Like hell I love her."

"The worst lie is the one you tell yourself." Draco replied, leaving. Harry thought for a moment.

"And Draco?" Harry called, ignoring most of what Draco had said.

"Hmm?" He turned.

"Because we love her." Draco smiled to Harry for the first time in his life, held up one fist for power, then disappeared into the sombre hallways. Things wouldn't change between the two even so. Things would never change.

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Mooha! Yes, You'll understand this more after my next chappie… Don't send me flames, I realize it's strange to hear that Harry might die (not).

RevIEW!!


	21. Bring On The Rain

(Authors Note) I don't know when the last time I updated was, so sorry if it has been a long time. I'm on the countdown, there's only 4 more chapters after this and then it's all done! Anyhow, then I will be starting some OF so, please go read those when I'm done here… and be sure to come back for my next HP fic. Tnx to everyone who keeps coming back, I'll be listing my greatest, most wonderfulest fans on the last chapter, those who have kept me going through this whole fic.

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IMPORTANT Don't ruin this for everyone, send me reviews. If I don't get more then I'm not writing anymore.

Disclaimers: I wanna be a disclaimer when I grow up!

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Draco paced outside of Dumbledore's office for what was only two minutes, but seemed like so much longer. He couldn't think of a good enough story to fool Dumbledore into thinking that there was reason for him to set Autumn up like he had, besides her knowledge of Avada Kedavra, because other than that, there wasn't. He'd gotten a copy of the note from Hermione about two weeks earlier, but he couldn't bring himself to go to Dumbledore and admit that he'd done it, that he and not Autumn was the guilty one. He wasn't used to admitting when he was wrong, but now he'd have to try. A small bead of sweat dripped down his neck to the ridge of his hunter green ribbed turtleneck sweater as Dumbledore opened the wooden porte, Hagrid right behind him.

"Well 'ere Dumbledor', seemin' tha Malfoy 'ere wan's a word wih yeh. I leh te be wih 'im." He spoke, heading out the door as Draco headed in. Times like this seemed like a scene from a movie in Draco's mind; he was a convict awaiting his sentence. Only this time was different because it didn't just seem like a scene, it really was one. And it was his scene. Hagrid turned just before Dumbledore could close the door. "Jus' r'member. 'Ere. She b'longs 'ere." The door then clicked shut. Dumbledore took a seat at his desk, leaving Draco standing by the closed doorway.

"What brings you here, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore inquired, his large hands resting atop his desk. 

"I've got something to admit to you, sir." He answered.

"Have a seat, Draco." Dumbledore replied, motioning to a chair. Draco didn't move from his standing spot on the floor. 

"Autumn's innocent." Dumbledore looked, questioningly at the blonde-haired boy and adjusted the half-moon spectacles that semi-covered his eyes. With a clam tone, he replied.

"Do tell."

****

Running footsteps thudded on the hard stone floor as a voice called out in frenzy.

"Potter! Potter!" Harry spun around on his heels at the sound of Draco's voice, wondering if he might have wanted to pick a fight again, as to chance that he might not have learnt from the first one that year. He wasn't on speaking terms with Draco, which wasn't unusual, but this time it was mostly because he'd done nothing yet to get Autumn back. As if it really mattered to him anyhow. "Harry-…" puffed Draco.

"Bit out of shape for a Seeker, Malfoy. You can't even sprint a hundred." Draco, for once, ignored Harry's comments. 

"I told Dumbledore." Draco coughed, taking a deep breath. "I admitted it." Harry's heart flip-flopped in his chest so much that he was sure Draco would see it.

"And?" Harry asked, pressing for an answer.

"He believes me. He believed my self-accusation. She can come back. I mean, I'm getting like, forever's detention, and my father-…" Harry whooped and hugged Draco.

"Are you serious?" He screamed into Draco's ear as loud as he could. Draco pushed Harry off of him.

"Gerrof me!" He growled, rubbing his arm. "Yes, I'm serious! Now stop acting like you're my best friend! Dumbledore said she will be contacted by owl and Hagrid will go back to get her at a later date."

"No need." Harry replied. "I'm leaving. I'm going… I'm gone." He raced off in the opposite direction that he'd been heading in, with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Potter!" Draco called. Harry just waved a hand behind him. "Potter, how the bloody hell are you expecting to go get her, especially in this weather?" Harry stopped a moment, looking out a right-hand side window. It was drenching rain outside. Harry turned to Draco and Hermione descended a flight of stairs, the ones that Harry would have been going up. "See?" Draco spoke, cockily.

"It's summer in my heart, Malfoy. Bring on the rain."

"Harry, where are you going?" Harry turned to Hermione who was standing behind him. 

"To get Autumn. She can come back all because Draco admitted he did to Dumbledore!" Harry replied.

"Harry, that's foolish and you're being the fool. What about your grades? They'll be sure to drop. Spring break is soon, why not wait until then and with your health-…"

"'Mione," he spoke, fondly. "It's been so dark and unfamiliar without her, but now that I've got hold of something that isn't either, I'm not letting go. I've already let go once and I'm not doing it again. I can't hide what I feel anymore and my state of health can't even hold me back now. Even though you and Ron hide yourselves, I can't hide me. You'll eventually know what I mean." Hermione blushed and looked to the floor as Draco grinned halfway down the hall. "Let me go, Hermione. It's not forever." With a determined smile, he brushed past her, leaving with a last glance out the window. Hermione looked to Draco who was walking her way to the stairs. 

"Draco, are you crying?"

****

Autumn sat in her room, eating a bowl of noodles and reading a rather large hardcover book. Rain pitter-patted outside of her window, clashing with her page turning and fork clinking. Every once and awhile, she could hear her fathers footsteps creaking along the hardwood floor of the hallway from his room back into the bathroom. She'd assumed awhile back that he was getting ready to go out. Autumn closed her book with a snap. Her mind just wasn't on reading. She picked up her bowl of noodles and went and sat on the window seat, looking out at the rain, dripping from the heavens. It almost put her in a trance. Her thoughts quickly flowed back to Hogwarts.

She missed Draco. She could say that easily, even though he was the one that she was most likely not to miss. Even though he'd screwed with her mind, she still respected him, ever so slightly, and wanted to find out the mystery of his bruises. She also missed Ron, Seamus, Ginny and Johanna. Often, she'd wonder about the little redhead Ginny and if she'd ever gotten together with Seamus. And Johanna. She missed her conversations with her about James, though she'd never really met him, he'd seemed like a Johanna type guy. Her thoughts stopped for a moment as a bolt of lightning flashed in the sky, and then they resumed. 

Hermione. She'd been her best friend and it was strange not having her around. Autumn vaguely wondered what trouble she might have gotten in. Then, there was Harry.

Autumn decided, with a flick of her auburn hair, that she couldn't deny it any more. Her hate for Harry had disappeared like the noodles in her bowl. Her dad, just then, poked his spiky-haired head in the open doorway. He looked like a teen, which was fine by her.

"Going down to The Leaky Cauldron. I'll see you in a few hours." He clicked the door closed. As soon as Autumn was sure he'd left, she screamed at the top of her lungs. 

"I'm in love with Harry Potter!" Ginger ruffled her feathers and clicked her beak at her noise. "But Ginger, it's so true. I am. I really am." She gazed out the window, then rose from the seat, picking up a brush and running it through her hair. Her wand sat on the table to the offside of her full-length mirror. She remembered what Ollivander had said about her wand, being peculiar, and about Johanna saying that one of the elements might disappear. Her book was in safe hands with Hermione though. Maybe she'd figured it out already. Looking back in the mirror, she spoke. "I'd just like to chop it up a bit. It's so long." Ginger hooted a reply to Autumn talking about her hair. '_reducio cheveusia'_ Autumn spoke, pointing her wand at her hair. Instantly, it lost about five inches. It was just a bit shorter then when she started going to Hogwarts, but now the layers were a bit choppier and gave her hair an even redder glow. "Good enough."

Ginger hopped off Autumns bedpost and flew out of the room as Autumn changed into a dark indigo pair of flares and a white sleeveless shirt with silver dots that spelt out 'goddess'. Just as she finished applying a touch of black eyeliner, a boom of thunder and a ding of the doorbell sounded in unison. She hopped down the stairs to answer the door, her newly cut hair bouncing on her shoulders. She pulled the door open to face a sixteen-year-old teen with a broomstick in one hand and a black schoolbag with a Gryffindor crest on it in the other. Autumn's jaw dropped as Harry's belongings did when Harry pulled Autumn out into the rain.

"Hell, I missed you so much." Autumn whispered, brushing a dripping lock of hair out of Harry's eyes. His clothes stuck to him, raining themselves like the sky.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." He replied, kissing her forehead. Autumn wrapped her arms around Harry's neck as she pulled his soaking body close to her. Harry sighed in a deep breath filled with Autumn's scent. When she pulled away, he smiled, fingering her hair with his left hand. Autumn looked Harry up and down. His black long-sleeved shirt was plastered to his muscular chest and his baggy beige cords sagged with the weight of the rain.

"I used to be so afraid of you." She spoke. "You seemed to stuck-up and unlikable."

"I was in denial of everything." Harry replied.

"But do you know what you feel now?" Autumn questioned.

"I think that's a question you have to ask yourself also."

"I think I already have. I think I have the answer for it too." Autumn responded, pulling Harry to her, kissing him ever so lightly on the lips. "And it starts like this."

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Awww, isn't that cute? 20 someodd down, 4 more to go! Remember, if my review count isn't way up, no more. I just can't cope with only getting 4 reviews in a week, so REVIEW!

Also, 2 questions. What do you all think that the very last word/sentence should be in the story and why, and secondly, how did you all find this fic?

RevIEW!!


	22. Last To Know

(Authors Note) Well, threatening not to write anymore kind of worked… enough for me anyway. Ravyn, I like your demanding ideas and things, but I really just want to get this done so I can start on my own stuff. I do realize that it's been about two weeks since I last updated and I'm sorry, but I will update more often from now on okay? Okay. And, does anyone have any other ideas for the last word in the story?

Disclaimers: I have no time to go around saying that I've created Harry Potter because I have a LIFE.

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The door unlocking stirred Autumn out of her sleep, but didn't stop her from going back to it. She'd been so overwhelmed at seeing Harry again that all the energy was taken out of her and she'd only had a few minutes to move all of Harry's things into the house before collapsing on her bed in a contented heap.

She could only hear a bit of conversation going on, most likely between her father, who'd just arrived home, and Harry, but she wasn't really listening. She kept herself awake for a few more seconds as Harry crept quietly into her room. With a touch of a sigh as he brushed her hair with his fingers, Autumn fell back into a deep sleep, but only for mere seconds.

Harry was half-asleep on the window seat when Autumn awoke, the sky outside dark and starry. Autumn blinked a couple of times and then rose, taking a seat in front of Harry's feet. He stirred a bit, opening his half-closed eyes and smiled.

"Good day." He yawned, composing himself. Autumn smiled shyly. "You've never been this quiet with me. Is something wrong?" Autumn shook her head. Harry moved a leg to the floor and leant his head back against the wall. "Com here." He whispered, patting the seat. Autumn poised herself, her back against Harry's chest, her head on his shoulder, sitting in the spot where his left leg had just been.

"This is so surreal." She spoke, breathing on Harry's neck.

"Why's that?"

"Because everything seems so right… I feel like I don't have to hide myself anymore, I don't have to be someone that I'm not." Autumn replied. 

"You were doing that before?" Harry questioned, moving both arms around Autumn's stomach.

"I hid my ability to play Quidditch from everyone, I figured I'd be made to play. I was scared of that because then I might become known."

"Anything else?" Harry murmured, rubbing her stomach with his forefinger as she nestled closer to him.

"I used to be petrified of you, especially after Draco dumped me. I got so scared of love that I became hostile to you because you're the one I really, erm… like." Harry smiled and looked down at Autumn as she finished. "That's when I admitted that to myself, when I learned that I didn't want to be evil." 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, softly.

"Death Eaters have been all around Hogwarts, Harry. They were looking for me. Once they found I could do Avada Kedavra, they wanted to bring me to Voldemort. That's probably something Draco found out and what he used against me in that note… He must have gotten information from them…"

"But why you?"

"Because if I can do Avada at such a young age, they figure I'd be of help for the Dark Lord. But after I tried to kill the Death Eaters that were following me around, he found me to dangerously feisty. The only reason I know what's on the inside is because I wanted to be one of them… they somehow figured that out themselves, which remains my own enigma. But then I changed my mind and Voldemort got pissed. I'm sure he'll come back soon enough though, he knows I'm pure now, my wand's dark element disappeared just the other day." Harry wondered to himself for a minute.

"Wait, you wanted to be dark, and they figured that out?" Autumn nodded. "How could they find out unless someone told them? Did you ever tell anyone that you wanted to be dark?" Autumn thought for a moment.

"Yes, I told my dad a week before I came to Hogwarts… I was reading a wizardry book and I told him that if I was a witch, I'd want to be dark."

"But he's the only person that you told?" 

"Yes." Harry immediately came up with an answer.

"Autumn, would it be at all possible for your father to be dark?" Harry asked.

"Well, I don't know. He did seem pretty happy that I wanted to go to the Dark Side. When I wrote to him while I was at Hogwarts, I told him everything. He was fascinated that I was with Draco, he said his father was a magnificent man. He was overjoyed when he found out I could do Avada Kedavra. He wasn't so happy though, when I came home from Hogwarts and told him that I'd changed my mind about being dark." Autumn replied. "But it would almost make sense, wouldn't it? My mom was dark, he disappears for hours at a time and he always wears black."

"We can't assume anything though." Harry spoke. "It could be a coincidence. Besides, you're out of his way at Hogwarts, and you'll be out of his way again when you go back."

"What do you mean?"

"Draco admitted that he wrote the note to Dumbledore." Harry whispered. "You can come back." Autumn sat up, her eyes sparkling.

"Are you serious?" Harry nodded as Autumn sank back, smiling. "Wow."

The two then sat for several moments in silence. Harry knew that Autumn was right about this being surreal. It was. The thought of Voldemort after Autumn was frightening though, along with the thought of her father being a Death Eater. It seemed to scare him more than it bothered Autumn. The only thought on Autumn's mind was of Voldemort. Her and Harry both together outside of Hogwarts would be the perfect time to attack. Or to even send someone else to attack, since the Death Eaters following her were injured and Voldemort was still weak and without a right-hand man. That someone sent possibly being her father.

"I've got something to tell you Harry." Autumn whispered.

"As do I." Harry replied, his green eyes downcast.

"I-I love you, Harry." Harry looked up, bewildered.

"Maybe I should have told you my something first." Autumn looked at him, confused. "Autumn, I'm dying." Autumn couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What?" Harry told her the whole story of the fight.

"But that doesn't matter," He ended. "I'm with you now."

"Harry, you're dying."

"Not yet." Autumn sighed, annoyed.

"You're the one dying and I'm the one worrying." She said.

"Then you must be right. You must really love me."

****

Harry and Autumn kept a close eye on Johnathon Fortshamen from then on. Nothing strange had happened, he was his usual happy-go-lucky self and continued to go to The Leaky Cauldron, read the newspaper and cuss about the horses. Harry only stayed for a week, which was all of Spring Break, but in his mind it was only a day. Autumn was packing her things to return to Hogwarts when Ginger hooted down the hallway.

"Letter and package!" Harry called from the kitchen. Autumn pressed her final things in a trunk then sprinted to the kitchen, passing her leaving father with a quick wave, where she found Harry reading a letter, a puce colored vial in hand. "It's from Draco." He confirmed as Autumn took the vial out of his hand.

"It's a potion." Autumn spoke.

"It's _the _potion." Harry replied, amazed. "To dissolve the bone."

"You can't just drink it though, it'll dissolve all your bones." Autumn stated. "And did Draco send it just like that?" 

"It appears so." Harry replied. "And it can't dissolve all my bones, there's not enough of it, so Draco says."

"So how are we supposed to get this into your head and to dissolve the bone?" Autumn questioned. Harry detatched a small needle from the side of the vial. "With that?"

"I guess so." Harry spoke. "I can't do this myself." Autumn shakily filled the miniature needle with the liquid. Harry leant back a bit, holding on to a chair. "Just, make it quick." Autumn advanced, poking Harry's forehead for the tiny lump of bone. "I don't think that's going to help." Harry replied. "Just do it." Autumn quickly poked the needle into a small swollen lump on the right-hand side of Harry's forehead, pushing the liquid inside. Just then, her father put his hand on her shoulder.

"What?" She asked, turning around. Harry tripped to the floor, sitting, with his head between his legs.

"Got the potion from Draco?" It was her father, who hadn't left yet.

"Yes, and I thought that you were going out." Autumn stated, placing the needle on the dining room table.

"Well, I was. But then meetings got changed and governmental things like that, so here I am." Autumn didn't like the tone in his voice. She looked over at Harry, who was still in the same position as before. "And here you are. You and," He spat. "Harry Potter." He leant against the table, his black and silver-edged robes floating. "I thought that you and Draco were patching things up, and then you come back here, kicked out of Hogwarts and dating him."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Autumn asked, eyes glinting.

"You were supposed to go to Hogwarts to get rid of him, not to get him." Johnathon tiffed. "You weren't supposed to get known, you were supposed to hide yourself and he someone else. I set up that portkey to get you curious, because I already knew that you were. And when you said you wanted to be dark," he hissed. "I thought you'd live up to it, not fail it like your mother did."

"Wh-what?" Autumn was taken suddenly. She stumbled over Harry's hand as she stepped backwards whilst her father progressed. Her father pulled out his wand.

"I know about the things you never told me. I know about your wand's element disappearing. I know about you trying to kill Avery, Charmicheal and Harshofonell." Autumn gasped. "But there's nothing we can do about that now, is there?" He relented. Autumn sat down beside Harry as he looked up. The lump was blood red and vessels were mechanically pumping and veins were swollen to twice their size.

"You set this whole thing up? You sent me to Hogwarts under the knowledge of Lucius Malfoy. He was looking out for me and set up my extra DADA classes and made Snape like me."

"Seems like you've gotten it all figured out." He vocalized, pocketing his wand. "Turning back to the Dark now is impossible, you've turn pure. But the Cruciatus curse could make you under my power… but not worth it right now. Go back to Hogwarts, go back to your friends and Dumbledore. Run and tell him I'm a Death Eater. Not like he doesn't know." He sighed. "The only thing he doesn't know is that I set up your mother." Turning around, he spoke. "Oh, and by the way," he spoke under his breath. "That potion from Draco's only a little bit tainted."

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Who would have thought. Not even I.

So anyhow, review and tell me what you think that the last word should be in the whole story and good stuff like that. Luv yahs.

ReViEw!


	23. End of the Year Ball

(Authors Note) WHEE! Here's another chapter done. I definitely have to thank everyone for their continual support, but mostly to Opal.Star who really REALLY helped me out with the next few chapters, but made me stop when I came to planning the end, so that it would be a surprise. THANK YOUZ!

Disclaimers: * sings to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle * Harry is owned by JKR, JKR, JKR, Harry is owned by JKR who is obvious-ly not me!

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"What do you mean, only a little bit tainted?" Autumn hissed at her father, who was writing some type of memo on a Muggle notepad. Harry suddenly thunked to the floor beside her, unconscious. 

"Just what I said. Only a bit." He replied, ripping off the piece of paper as another dark figure appeared beside him.

"You only tainted it a little bit?" the voice spoke, then removed the hood of his cloak. "You could've swollen up his brain with just another simple addition." It was Lucius Malfoy.

"This way's faster. Plus, it's much more entertaining." Johnathon replied. "This could almost turn into a repeat of the confrontation of her mother's." John and Lucius advanced on Autumn, Lucius kicking Harry's limp body to the side as Autumn stood. John threw the haphazard note onto the floor next to Harry, then he and Lucius began to circle like two hungry vultures.

"She's got power." Lucius spoke. "I could see it and feel it every time I saw her or passed her at Hogwarts. It was her power that got to Draco." He paused, looking at Johnathon. "Draco didn't want to be a Death Eater either. Just do what I do. Beat her around a little; throw a couple of punches. Draco tries to hide it." Johnathon shook his head.

"Khate had power too, Autumn. It's funny, she found it almost the same way that you did, and I was there. Just as Harry was there for you. Let me tell you a little story. It starts with her finding her powers."

"What?" Autumn questioned.

"Your mother had powers that were unspeakable of. When I found out of them, I told Lucius, naturally. We were best friends and Khate was my girlfriend. Khate wasn't very fond of him though. She thought he was 'Dark'." He paused and laughed as Autumn glared.

"He is." Johnathon slapped her across one cheek.

"Damn you." He cried. "Shut up and listen." Autumn quickly shut up. "As soon as Lucius found out about Khate's power, he told us of the Dark Side. I didn't resist going; it sounded interesting to me. Khate was so unsure of her powers and what they meant that she decided to go too. Lucius and Voldemort taught us what we needed to know to be Death Eaters. Of course," He took a breath, hesitating. "Then she found out that she was pregnant." Lucius smirked and nodded towards Autumn who could find no way out of the repeating circle.

"That little whore hung on to every word that Johnathon said." Lucius spoke. "But when she found out that you had the powers that she possessed, she fled Voldemort and our teaching. She fled your fathers commands to give you up to Voldemort for power." Autumn blinked, unbelieving.

"And you never even tried to get out too." Autumn spat at her father. "You were a coward." Johnathon stopped cold.

"If you want a look at a bloody coward, take a look at the fool lying on the floor." Johnathon stated. "Too scared to move on after you left." Autumn glared at her father.

"Going to tell me what happens next?"

"Lose your bloody cheek towards your own father." Lucius commanded, shoving her with his cane. "So, we had to blackmail your mother. Make it look like she'd killed an innocent someone to get her kicked out of Hogwarts and not capable to be accepted anywhere else. It was Voldemort's command." Autumn locked her fierce eyes to Lucius' icy ones. "Draco almost did the same to you, you know." Autumn was offended, and replied with a solid punch to Lucius' face, and when her father grabbed her arms to hold her back, she tripped him to the floor. "Alright you bitch, you're coming with us." Lucius howled, he and Johnathon together dragging her out of the house, but not before placing a memory charm on Harry.

It took Harry only moments to awake from the potion after the three had left, but due to the memory charm, he couldn't remember anything that had happened within the past few days. Rolling over, a note crumpled underneath him. He sat up and read it. It didn't say much, just little things about Autumn and her father going on a vacation and how Autumn would be back to Hogwarts by the End of the Year Ball. Harry nodded to himself absent-mindedly, then picked up a few of his things, took his broom and headed off back to Hogwarts as if nothing had happened at all. Only because in his current state of mind, nothing had.

****

Harry arrived back at Hogwarts in double the time it had taken him to leave there and get to Autumn's. He'd gotten lost twice, only because he'd forgotten exactly where Hogwarts was situated. In the beginning he'd also forgotten how to fly a broom, but in a mere thirty seconds, had learnt to ride it again. When he walked in the door, everything was quiet. He headed up to Gryffindor Tower with his things, hoping that maybe Ron would be there to talk to, or even Hermione. As the picture frame opened, there were two figures sitting on the fireplace-facing couch, talking softly. At the sound of someone entering though, they turned.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed, excitedly. 

"Hermione!" Harry called back to her.

"I was so worried about you!" She hopped up off the couch and embraced Harry in a giant hug. "Where's Autumn?" She questioned, looking about. Ron slowly made his way towards Harry, babying his left foot.

"You okay there, Ron?" Harry asked. Ron nodded.

"Where's your girlfriend?" He asked, smiling.

"Something about a vacation with her father. A memo left said that she'd be back by the time of the Ball." Hermione looked at him quizzically. 

"How would she know that she was allowed back if she's on a vacation?" She asked. Harry cocked his head to one side.

"You know what? I don't know." He replied. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then back at Harry. Something had happened, but they weren't clear on what. "What's the date today, sir?" He asked a boy that was passing by.

"April 5th." The boy spoke, turning. "Harry?"

"Yes?" Harry replied. "Seamus?!" He cried. "You look so… different." Harry looked Seamus up and down. Seamus certainly did look different, but only if you would consider getting an earring and dying your hair black and chopping it super-short different. "Did you do something to your hair?" Seamus laughed.

"Yeah, I blew it up." He replied with a smile. "So, where's Autumn? We're you not going to get her?"

"Does the whole school know about this?" Harry inquired. "And to answer you, she's on a vacation with her father and should be back by the End of the Year Ball." He paused. "When _is_ the Ball, anyway? Was a date ever decided?" Seamus nodded.

"Sometime around the middle of May. Even though that's not quite the end of the year, teachers figured that it would be the best time to have it, with OWL's and NEWT's and things like that." Harry nodded. "Well," Seamus spoke, heading out the picture frame. "I hope to see you and Autumn there."

"Yeah," said Harry. "Me too."

****

A voice hissed in Autumn's ear as her eyes flickered open, a voice of a vermin, a voice of a hunter. Looking up, she saw a being before her that left her unable to breathe and without words to speak except one.

"Voldemort?" she attempted to hiss, but instead she choked on the syllables.

"Yes." It hissed back at her without turning. A black cloak was at the floor at the monsters feet and torches cast strange shadows around the walls of the dark lair. A small potions vial was in its scrawny hand and her father and Lucius were both gathered around a cauldron, Charmicheal and Harshofonell between them. Autumn tried to get up, but found she couldn't. She reached for the wand that she had hidden in her pant leg, but didn't have the strength to retrieve it. Just then, he turned. 

"I've gotten all of your power." He murmured. "All of it. And now, one of us," he motioned to the Death Eaters and to himself. "Will get to be you in my final scheme that will finally kill Harry Potter." Autumn's eyes began to close, she becoming tired and weak. "I know you'd like to ask." He spoke, extending on the vowels of his sentences. "But all I can say is that at the End of the Year Ball, Harry will die. As so shall you." The shadowy creature spoke again. "First, this." He held out a vial. "A PolyQuick Potion, very similar to the PolyJuice, but much faster to start working and with added effects. Though it still takes time to create, it's much more powerful then the PolyJuice." He spoke mistakenly and looked around, thinking if that was everything. He forgot though, that the PolyQuick _took out_ minor details, not added them. "It seems to need something from the person I am going to become." His hollow eyes bore into Autumns, sending chills up her sleepy body. "From you," he taunted. "I shall take blood." He fashioned his wand from nowhere. A squeal came from one of the spectators as the wand was pointed to Autumn.

"Avada!" Voldemort turned to the speaker.

"Who dares speak?" he commanded. Not one person moved. "Charmicheal, if you speak again, you are next." The man cowered behind the enormous cauldron.

"Yes, M'Lord." Voldemort then turned back to Autumn.

"You've no idea how easily I could blast you into another dimension, or how quickly I could kill you." Autumn's eyes fluttered as her breathing ceased. "With every one of your breaths I'm getting stronger and closer to being able to kill that, that _wizard_ Harry Potter." Autumn groaned. "But no. I'll leave you on the brink of death until he gets here, until he comes and tries to be a hero again." He knelt down beside her, wand still in hand. "And I only need one drop to be you. I'm one drop away from my destiny."

Pointing his wand to her forehead, he whispered the last few things that Autumn would hear in a long time. "I'll take it from where you get your knowledge, which shall be no more, to mix in with the crimson-auburn of your hair. But I will not leave a scar, so you can be set apart in your eventual death unlike Harry. For his scar shall kill him." Then Voldemort cast his spell.

'_sangria apparecio'_ Just then, a blood red trail began to trickle down Autumn's forehead and into the vial of green liquid. As Voldemort stood, the rest of it fell onto Autumn's auburn hair, then the cut healed itself, as if it had never been.

"Hmm-m-m." Autumn tried to speak, but then retracted into a weak mew.

'_halloviacallo' _Voldemort spoke, wand in hand, taking the last of the energy out of Autumn and putting her into a deep sleep. "The Dark Lord has returned."

****

Autumn slept fitfully for about a month as Harry returned to regular life at Hogwarts, anticipating the End of the Year Ball. He couldn't wait to see Autumn again, but yet something in his mind made him wonder about the time he flew to Autumns, and what had really happened. Pieces of memory were slowly returning to him, but he couldn't put any of the remembrances into place. Soon enough though, the Ball came, students dressed in Dress Robes, with hair fancily done and polite speak going on everywhere. Though most of the students had gone to the Ball by 7 0'clock, Harry and Ron were still in the Gryffindor Common Room, waiting for Hermione.

"Hermione, you've never been one to dress up for anything besides the Triwizard Dance! Now hurry up and come down here so Harry can get re-aquainted with Autumn!" Ron called up the stairs, dressed in deep sea blue dress robes. Just then, Hermione appeared and Ron's jaw dropped. "H-Hermione?" She nodded as she descended the stairs and took Ron's arm, light lavender robes swooshing about her feet with a shimmering silver unicorn charm around her neck. 

"Wow, Hermione, you look grand." Harry spoke, looking down at his hunter green colored robes and casually patting his gelled hair. "Now can we leave?" 

Meanwhile, a transition was going on in Voldemort's lair. The PolyQuick potion was complete and Voldemort had chosen himself to be the one in the transformation. With a quick nod to his followers, he swallowed the vial of bubbling liquid, Autumn's limp body at his feet. He dropped the vial on her body as the alteration completed. A gasp came from the Death Eaters, signifying that he had in fact, turned into Autumn. He laughed like a maniac, before exiting from his cave, leaving the Death Eaters to watch over Autumns lifeless body.

Down in the Great Hall, everything was colorful and full of decoration. Harry sat alone at a table, waiting for Autumn and watching Hermione and Ron dance together to a rather slow wizard song. So many people had gotten together in the time he'd been gone. Ginny was dancing beside Ron and Hermione, Seamus clasping onto her for dear life, chuckling and smiling, confirming Harry's question to whether or not he and Ginny were finally together. Together also were James and Johanna. While walking downstairs, he'd tripped over a pile of brooms and buckets in the corridor, swinging open a broom closet door by accident. Inside happened to be the two. They'd obviously thought that they'd locked the door, which they hadn't, since it swung open just as Harry'd tripped into it, making for a blushing Johanna and a lipstick-smeared and embarrassed James. Harry apologized profoundly and then had continued on his way, shaking his head and trying to clear his now-scarred mind.

He'd already been there for an hour and Autumn was yet to show up. Just as he sighed and was about to leave Ron and Hermione there to do whatever it was they were doing, he saw a auburn haired girl wearing fire-red dress robes enter, hair done up and a green and sterling dragon pendant around her neck. Little did he know, it wasn't Autumn, though they were dressed like her and looked like her. Jumping up and nearly knocking the table with his kneecaps, he ran to whom he thought was Autumn and embraced her in a large hug.

"Oh my God, it's so great to see you!" Autumn cried, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck.

"You to-… Ah, shit!" Harry pulled away, clutching at his scar, which was burning like hot iron. Autumn looked at him quizzically.

"Your scar?" She asked, soothingly. Harry nodded, then yelped when she touched his hand that was against his forehead.

"I-I think I should g-go outside." Harry stuttered, walking past her, head down. She followed him close behind. "Damnit, it's never burnt like this before." Harry spoke, opening the door and walking out into the May darkness and stars. "It's only supposed to burn when Voldemort is close, and he wouldn't be here…" Harry trailed off on his sentence, then looked up into what were really Voldemort's eyes. He stared into them for a few moments succumbed in dusk, memories coming back.

"Remembering something?" Autumn asked. Harry continued to stare.

"Didn't your eyes used to have tigerstripes?" Autumn looked at him dumbfounded.

"Well… uh…" 

"And weren't they green?"

"Color contacts?" 'Autumn' replied, lost for a better answer and amazed that Harry had remembered such small details. He grabbed at his burning scar again.

"Damnit- You're not Autumn!" He fell to the ground, his forehead searing like white fire. "Fuck-…"

'_imperio'_ Voldemort commanded, losing his disguise as Autumn.

"_No!"_ Harry's mind cried, "_I knew you weren't her!"_

"Come to me!" Voldemort commanded in his thoughts and with his wand.

__

"NO!"

"Do as I say or I will kill you now you insignificant git!" Voldemort's mind roared in Harry's ears as Voldemort slinked towards Harry and touched his arm, making his scar sear with pain once more. "_Come to me." _He spoke in a calmer voice._ " I will bring you to the real Autumn. Your Autumn."_

Harry stopped thinking. He stopped trying. He just lay. And as he lay he didn't realize that he wasn't really conscious, but rather in the middle of sleep and being awake. And in that middle state, he was being carried in his dress robes to a lair where he could await everything that he had awaited before, but this time with a partner. A partner who had amazing power, but who he didn't know was like he; on the brink of death.

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Hey everyone!! I hope this chapter clarified a few things for you all and I hope that this chappie wasn't too confusing, lol. Please review !


	24. Black Lightning

(A/N) Hey all, I'm back once again, to write the final chapters of my adventures… heh heh heh. I hope you've enjoyed this… I've only gotten a few responses about what the last word of the story should be, they being 'forever', 'never', and 'enigma'. If you have any more ideas, please send me them in your reviews. Thanks!

Disclaimers: * holds up sign reading NOT MINE in large letters *

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The cobblestone floor beneath Harry vibrated with the sound of advancing footsteps. Harry trembled, looking at the seeming lifeless body that had been placed before him by John and Lucius on a table that appeared to more resemble a sacrificial altar. He walked like a zombie only two steps forward, then memories came flooding back to him at the sight of Autumn's sleeping face. Memories of everything.

"Going to try and be the hero again, Potter?" Voldemort sibilated behind Harry's back, chuckling like a horrid animal to Harshofonell and Charmicheal who were on either side of him. "Or now do you give up? Now do you come to me so we can accomplish great things, high works that were once incomprehensible?" Harry turned; glaring at the figure, ignoring the inscrutable pain that was being exerted through his scar.

"Never."

"You pompous brat. You'd do as I say if you knew what was good for you." Harry turned back to the girl who was lain on the blood-splattered altar on a matching textile. "You've brought on your own death now, Harry. You believed the bone would kill you and not me, never me. But you were wrong, Harry, very wrong indeed. I am a part of you, I am viewable. I am your scar," He ambled towards Harry, placing angular hands on his shoulders, making the scar hot with torture once again. "And I shall kill you." Harry's head lowered, as if he was praying as he placed his hands within Autumn's. Voldemort backed away into a somber corner of the lair, sporting his powerful wand.

"I've always tried to be the hero." Harry began in a whisper. "I wanted to be the one to be noticed, the one with all the attention, even though it seemed the opposite. But attention seekers, like heroes, need a time when they can't be what they think they are." Harry paused, stroking Autumn's hair, one hand still in hers. "Now would be my time. I can't make things right whilst so many things for me are wrong and I can't be your hero, so I'm hoping that you'll be mine. This hero needs to switch places with the real deserver, to let her have the upper hand at this hero's battle. Get back your powers." Harry fashioned his wand, holding it in one hand as the onlookers viewed the spectacle. Autumn's eyes flickered as Harry spoke two simple words with utmost passion and desire.

'_changervosia energievus'_

"No!" Voldemort roared, leaping out of his hidden shelter, Charmicheal and Harshofonell entering it, or possibly leaving. Autumn rose, not quite as strong as ever, but still strong, blinking and looking at Harry's collapsed body on the altar, knowing what he'd done.

'_accio _wand!' She cried out, flicking her hair back determinedly and sliding herself off, as her wand landed in her hand from the floor. While she looked around, Voldemort sprung forward into the torchlight, hissing like a snake, but yet hissing behind the other side of the wooden altar.

"Sssso… he gave hissss energy to you ssso you could get your powersssss…." Autumn whipped around, faced with a rather large snake, though unsure of what breed it was. It reared up, tongue flickering. "Didn't know I wassss and Aniiimaagii?" He spoke, slithering forward, transforming back into his shadowy body. Autumn didn't budge. "You're awfully stubborn, you realize. But that will get you nowhere, except death. Join me now, and you will be spared."

"Never." Autumn hissed in return. Voldemort looked to the right of him, to the collapsed boy. Magically, his wand extended into a half-metre long whip.

"Are you sure?" Autumn didn't speak. "You realize that since you've Harry's strength, you're tied to him?" Autumn stared with an evil glint in her eye, light reflecting into them from the dragon pendant around Voldemort's neck. "If anything happens to him, it happens also to you." The man touched Harry's shoulder with the whip, pouring anguish into the body that could not speak nor move, but could still feel. An immense pain shot through Autumn, then stopped as Voldemort removed his touch. She rubbed her forehead as Voldemort exerted a crooked sneer.

"Why not fight me directly you fucking coward?" Autumn taunted, upper lip quivering. Voldemort didn't even flinch.

"Because this was I can torture you both without wasting any extra energy." He quickly replied, patting the top tip of the pendant. Autumn felt a light tap to her head that turned into a vigorous rub to her stomach as Voldemort rubbed the pendant. The pendant, Autumn found, was tied to her. She quickly advanced, making obvious to the fact that she knew there was a link. Voldemort however, wasted not a second, slashing Harry's back and shoulders open with the whip in one smooth slice. Though not very deep, blood still seeped through to Harry's dress robes, splattering them and the altar with blood. Harry was victim and couldn't fight back. 

Autumn meanwhile, was flung to the ground, but was not cut. Voldemort jeered, turned his wand back into a wand and walked to the bleeding Harry as Autumn shimmied along the floor. She was out of eyesight of Voldemort, her father and Lucius, who had cowered like children in a corner. Voldemort dipped his hands into the blood covering Harry's back, then placed his handprints on the table-turned-altar, blood dripping even when his hands had left the surface. Autumn stood behind him, planned and ready for battle. Raising her wand, she spoke.

__

'imperio' Voldemort turned, laughing.

"I am too strong for that, you fool." Blood dripped onto the floor. "But since you want to control me-…" Autumn never gave him time to finish his sentence. She grabbed on to the dragon pendant and pulled with all of the strength she had, borrowed from Harry. The chain snapped, Autumn flying backward. Voldemort stomped towards her, she sitting at Lucius' and her father's feet, holding the pendant.

"Give it to me!" Voldemort spoke. Autumn looked at the pendant a bit closer. It was a dragon holding a glass ball, filled with a blood drop, a hair, red sparkles and a tiny piece of paper.

"So this is me." She spoke to Voldemort's outstretched hand. A safe feeling had come over her since she'd held the pendant. Looking at it even closer, she saw the dragon had begun moving, it's claws motioning to break the glass. Autumn took one glance up, rose to her feet, and then threw the pendant forcefully against the stone wall, smashing the glass. Autumn felt a rush through her body, filling her back with her own power and strength as Voldemort spoke and pointed his wand.

"You've taken one step too many, Fortshamen." Autumn could sense the energy leaving the scrawny body. He sauntered forward, shaking with anger. "One too far, Fortshamen." Just then, Harry leapt forward, wand in hand, full in his own energy and power. He'd gotten his back when Autumn had gotten hers.

"Touch her and you die." Voldemort slowly turned, his body becoming more and more transparent and empty.

"I think you've been mistaken, Potter. You're the one who is going to die." Behind Voldemort was Autumn, who had found exactly what to do. Her wand had slipped open, into two parts. The tip with the unicorn hair and a few red sparkles embedded in it was across the floor and the handle, which at one end held a round-bladed fencing sword. The sword was next to the pendant, which was close enough to reach. Picking both up, she tiptoed towards the very transparent, but still living-bodied man.

"M'Lord!" Lucius cried out, forcing Voldemort to turn and slash himself directly with the sword.

"Twit! Where'd she get a sword?" Voldemort roared in question, turning into the ghostly shadow that Harry had seen in the Dark Forest. He swirled around the room only speaking a few words before flying out. "You think you've won, Potter; Fortshamen. But this is not over yet. This will not be over until you are both dead." Lucius fled just at the time Voldemort did, leaving only Johnathon Fortshamen to face, Harshofonell and Charmicheal nowhere to be seen. A blood lake had spread across the cold floor following wherever Harry had stepped to. He looked around, hoping this was a dream, but it wasn't. It was very real, and the blood was his own. He fell to the ground, weak from blood loss, sliding Autumn's wand tip to her feet.

"Win." Harry spoke quietly. "Win." Placing her wand tip over the sword, Autumn approached her father.

"You're very powerful, Autumn." He spoke, taking out his own wand. "But that power," he snapped. "Has done so much." Autumn took a quick glance around the bloodstained lair, eyes stopping on the weak body of Harry. "Fighting against something your mother couldn't must give you a rush, hmm?" Autumn looked at the pendant chain wrapped around her fingers. Untangling it, she threw it towards Harry, who inched his hand for it, then grasped it. Looking back to her father, Autumn spoke.

"You set up my mom. You were going to kill her, and don't even try to deny it. You tried to kill Harry. You tried to kill 

Your own daughter. You're a Death Eater working for Voldemort, not a caring father having the occasional beer at The Leaky Cauldron." She pointed her wand. Her father did the same in return.

"And you're not an Auror who has more power than this Death Eater."

"I have more power than you and you know it. That's what you really want, your own daughters power. " Johnathon cringed at the word 'daughter'.

"You're not my daughter."

"So, you've been lying even more as well?" Autumn spat. "Whose am I then?"

"Does the name Finnigan ring a bell?" Autumn stared at her father.

"Seamus-…"

"Is your brother. You're fraternal twins, didn't you know? Seamus's fathers a Muggle and his mother's a Witch, supposedly… Make sense yet? You're a _Mudblood_." Autumn blinked. "Khatelyn Moorlen and Jared Finnigan. Met one day at Hogsmeade. Jared was there with his wizard friends… Damnit, I should have blown him to bits when I had the chance, but Seamus is doing a pretty damn good job of that by himself." Autumn felt a surge of anger for Johnathon's words to her newfound brother.

"Fuck you."

"Shut up, bitch." Just then, the two were stuck for words, except two that were spoken in unison as Harry rose his head.

'_avada kedavra'_ A bolt of black lightning struck between the two wands, through the surge of spell. Though Johnathon was taken aback, Autumn concentrated, moving her surge more towards her father. Just then, there was a large crack that launched the two bodies apart, one dead on the spot, one still alive, one into a pool of someone else's blood, the other into the side of the altar, cracking their backbone from the force.

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MooHAHAH! Can you guess who is who? I can, but then again, I wrote this. Please review, maybe with some ideas about the last word!

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ReVieW!


	25. No Place Like Home

(A/N) Alright everyone, this is pretty much the last chapter. The next thingie is an epilogue and a thanks thing, so come back for one more chappie. I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but I've just been so… unwantingtowriteish. Ps. Theres a picture of Autumn and Harry here. 

If this is confusing, I'm sorry. The first half was written a month ago.

Disclaimers: Yes, Kelly Clarkson at the end. Too bad. I don't own HP

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Harry had covered his head with his hands as he lay face-down on the cold floor. Two bodies had come flying toward him at a tremendous speed, one landing near him and the other, smashed against the altar, lifeless. He was unsure of the other, but was too weak to move to check and see if the one close to him was alive or not. With an idling heart, Harry did the only thing that his weak and delusional mind could think of. Thumbing the pendant of the dragon, he sang.

"Wh-Who am I and wh-…" Harry coughed, almost choking on the dust that now covered everything in the lair. The sound ricochet off the stone walls creating an eerie echo that sent chills down Harry's spine. Yet still, he continued, unsure if this was the last thing that he would ever say or do. "And who should I be, is this person really me," Harry groaned a bit, shuffling himself off to one side. "Sometimes dark things happen in ways that we don't always understand." Harry paused, looking around for any sign of a person. In a fainter voice, he began again. "I ask myself who am I, the question took me to almost die, but now I know," Harry glanced towards the body covered in his blood to the left. He slid his arm out to touch the hand of the one he had loved so much, Autumn. "Now I know, I can't always be the hero." With the last note, Harry felt helpless, weak and unable to move, but alive. More alive then ever and determined to make it out in the same state.

Autumn's body beside him shifted, stirred and eventually rose. She peered over at Harry who rolled over and looked up at her. He coughed from the dust and tried to get up, but he was too weak from his loss of blood.

"Let's get out of here." Autumn spoke, darting her eyes around the cavern. Harry moaned.

"I-I can't get up. I've lost too much blood… I'm not going to make it out of here." Autumn picked up her wand from the ground and thought for a second before speaking.

'_sanguia blocagio'_ Her spell was filled with sorrow, knowledge and sheer tiredness. The blood stopped coming from Harry, but that couldn't make any go back to him. Autumn knew that if she didn't get him out, he would die. That left them with a question though. Where was the exit? She walked near to where the Death Eaters had earlier been standing and found that it was in front of a door. 

"I found a door, Harry. But I'm not going out there without you." Thrusting her arms underneath his dead-weight body, Autumn lifted Harry up and headed towards the door, not knowing what was to be found on the other side.

****

"C'mon e'eryone, on teh train, yer late, yer late! Don' wan teh train te leave!" Hagrid hollered out, late students rushing all around him. Autumn gazed out the window of the Hogwarts Express, watching a few of the students she knew wave to teachers. She was thinking of Harry just as he appeared, embracing Hagrid in a huge bear hug. A few people were still loading their bags as she turned to Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in the same cabin. 

"It's been a crazy year." Ron spoke to the two girls, but mostly to Hermione. "Not unlike any other, of course." Just then, Harry cracked open the cabin door, then walked in, taking a seat next to Autumn, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and giving her the smile that got to her every time.

"Crazy's the right word for it, Ron. I can't believe I survived this year." Autumn half laughed, pushing more towards Harry. "I probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for you." Harry said to Autumn, kissing her on the cheek. The train then began to move, slowly at first, but then speeding up, the English countryside flashing by.

It was true. Harry'd nearly not survived that year, and the reason he had was Autumn. The door Autumn had found _was _the way out, and she'd managed to navigate her and Harry back to Hogwarts to get a full blood transfusion, for his blood had been poisoned from the potion that Autumn's father had tainted and also because of his blood loss in the lair. If Autumn hadn't been there, he would have surely been dead.

"I'll be back in a minute." Autumn spoke, raising herself and brushing past the three.

"Yeah, us too." Ron smiled, taking Hermione's hand. Autumn let a blushing Hermione and a smiling Ron past her before she too left, leaving a pondering Harry.

Walking up the train isle, she stopped at the fourth cabin, tapping the door before letting herself in.

"Hey Autumn." Seamus spoke out, tapping a seat beside him, interrupting a conversation with Neville and Dean Thomas. Ginny was sitting on the floor at his feet. "How goes it?" Autumn smiled, thinking of how easily Seamus had taken it when he found out that they were related.

"Not too bad." She tossed back a piece of hair. "You'll have to come visit me in the summer, you realize."

"Who are you staying with now that your… Johnathon's gone?" Seamus inquired. 

"I don't know, really. I think Dumbledore said something about a family member coming down." Autumn replied.

"Y'know, it would be cool if out parents got back together again." Seamus spoke with a twinkle. "If it wasn't for Azkaban." Autumn nodded, then got up.

"No funny stuff with my brother now, Ginny." Autumn joked, winking. Sliding the cabin door closed, she took a deep breath, thinking that this train ride, her last, was where the story ended. With her head high, she walked back to her own cabin, only to find Harry still there. He was staring out the window, as if in a trance. "Harry?" Autumn whispered, sitting beside him. Harry looked at her with tear-stained cheeks, a dragon pendant in one hand.

"This is yours." Harry pressed the pendant into her quivering hand. Autumn shook her head.

"No. No Harry. It's yours."

"But it's you." Harry replied. Autumn shook her head again.

"It's not me. It never was me. It was an illusion of me in a glass ball. I am here, not in a pendant. It's only a remembrance of me, not a form of me." She passed the dragon back to Harry who fastened it around his neck.

"Well then, this is will be my remembrance of you when I can not have the real you." Harry replied, kissing her gently. Autumn knew then that she was wrong. This wasn't the end of their story. Autumn momentarily pulled away.

"And Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"You can always be my hero."

****

Autumn had gotten a ride back home with Seamus' father, Jared. As soon as she walked in the door, she knew that something was different. First of all, the house was neat. Not Johnathon-neat, but someone-else neat. Secondly, Jared and Seamus had both brought her bags right into the house. As soon as her things had been set down, a woman with fall-like auburn hair stood at the top of the stairs, smiling. Autumn stood for a moment, dumbfounded.

"Mom?" Tears welled up in Autumns eyes as the woman descended the stairs, arms outstretched. "Oh my god." Autumn spoke as she was taken into a warm hug.

"Hunnie, th-there's s-s-so much to t-tell you." Khate spoke, sobbing. Parting, she fell into the arms of Jared, who stroked her back. Seamus and Autumn shuffled, wondering if they'd missed something. Khate turned her head and mumbled to Autumn. "What Johnathon said to you, about he and Lucius setting me up… it was true… it's all true." She turned back into Jared's arms as Autumn and Seamus carried Autumns things into her room. Ginger hooted from the kitchen, where she was nibbling on cake frosting. As Seamus shooed Ginger from the kitchen, Jared and Khate entered the room.

"I'm free now." Khate spoke, eyes dry. "News got to Azkaban about what had happened and they let me free two weeks ago. I told Dumbledore not to tell. I never thought this day would come." Autumn glanced at Jared, wondering. "I can tell what you're asking by that look." Khate chuckled. "And nothings official yet." Autumn gave a crooked smile.

"Yeah right." Seamus laughed. Jared couldn't help himself. 

"Alright you." He mussed Seamus' hair. "So maybe it's not totally official."

"You've been in Azkaban five years, right Khate?" Seamus asked. Khate nodded. "And the year you got put in was the year you were with my dad. Don't even try to say that you didn't miss him." Khate gazed at Jared like a young schoolgirl.

"Maybe." She smiled, blue eyes shining.

"We'll leave you be." Autumn spoke, dragging Seamus out of the room and outside, Ginger flying out with them. "Can you believe them?" Autumn cried as the walked outside. Seamus cracked up. 

"They're going to get back together, can't you tell?" Autumn grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill out of her suitcase and scribbled down a quick note, reading it aloud. "Harry. My mom got freed from Azkaban and she and Jared (Finnigan, Seamus' father) are inside being mad. They're quite loony, those two. You remember what Johnathon said about them, right? I sure hope so." Autumn paused. "What next, Seamus?" Seamus squinted his eyes in the sun. 

"Tell him that you think that they'll get married." Autumn giggled and wrote. "And tell him that he must come down this way if he stays at the Weasley's." Autumn scratched down the last part, signed her name with pounds of hugs and kisses and sent Ginger off with the letter. 

"Well, we may as well pull your bags out of the boot, Seamus. I don't think you'll be leaving for awhile." Autumn, Seamus and Seamus' bags traversed inside the house to a laughing Khate and Jared. 

"We've been back together for two weeks, Jared." They heard Khate speak. "Two weeks plus two years beforehand. I think that's enough to make a decision."

"It's right for the kids and it's right for us." Jared looked into the kitchen to an eavesdropping Seamus and Autumn. 

"It's right for everyone." Autumn concluded. Khate and Jared stood from the kitchen table, then pulled Seamus and Autumn into a large hug. Autumn and Seamus both pulled out at the same time, looking at the two adults before them.

"Mom." Seamus spoke, tentatively.

"Dad." Autumn ended, hugging Jared. This was her real father. As the mirror had said to her at the beginning of the year, 'people aren't always as you think they are, and they aren't always doing what you think they are.' This was true for Johnathon. This was true for her first impression of Harry. This was true for the entire year that she'd spent at Hogwarts. As Autumn sighed into her real father's arms, she saw Seamus hug who was now their mother, a single tear stroking his cheek. 

Pulling away, she sat down on the floor, overwhelmed by the whole situation. Seamus sat beside her and brotherly rubbed her shoulder. "I can't believe some people regret having parents." Seamus spoke.

"It's moments like this that make you alive. Moments of family."

"Ours that has finally come together." Seamus spoke.

"Moments of truth."

"You and Johnathon?" Seamus questioned. Autumn nodded.

"Moments of love." Autumn spoke in a hushed whisper. 

"Harry?" He didn't get a reply.

"Best of all is when they come all together. A moment like the one we have right now. Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this."

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Remember now, this isn't the end. One more bit to go, so come back!!
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ReVieW!


	26. Epilogue

(A/N) Wow, I can't believe it's been about 4 months since I started writing Autumn Enigma and now it's done. I honestly think it's amazing that I ever finished, because there have been a lot of times when I didn't want to continue, but through those times, these following people have made it all worth while.

FireGoddess – You've been there since the very beginning, leaving reviews at every chapter that I knew would be insightful. Thanks so much.

Asen – It's great to know that you've grown to love Autumn. Thanks for all your amusing reviews and times of humor when I couldn't think of anything to write. * PLOT BUNNIES! *

Psychadellic Flower – Wow, thanks for all those reviews and comments and inquiries about the next chapters. Good luck with your own stories.

Shawna – I know you've never reviewed, but I know that you've always read and that's great. Thanks for the support and the friendly threats.

Sam – Thanks for reading and the reviews that would come 'every once and awhile'. Now all you have to do is learn to talk like Hagrid.

Mulderluva – I told you that I would put you in this, and so I did. Thanks for letting me make an appearance in your fic too. 'Johanna and James' 4E!

Sorry to anyone else, but I do have to get on to actually finishing this. So, to all the others who have reviewed, once, twice… a million times and I forgot them. Thanks to you all.

Disclaimers: I think that this might be the last one of these that I have to write in awhile, so please, give me a break and spare my tears… Here goes the end of Autumn Enigma.

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A bit of music was playing on the outside lawn of Autumn's English country home, Jared and Khate, now newly married, slow dancing in the middle of a grassy dance floor. They'd decided to have the wedding at Khate's home, just to make things simpler and to leave room for the use of magic. The slow song had only just begun when Autumn felt a tap to her shoulder. She turned, her red hair curled and done in a brilliant updo shining in the summer light. She found herself looking into the most amazing green eyes, those belonging to Harry.

Surprised, she jumped back, nearly tripping over her sky blue dress. Harry's arm shot out and steadied her. Behind him, Ginny, Seamus, Hermione and Ron laughed.

"Looks as if your 'head over heels' theory is close to completion." Ron spoke, leading Hermione onto the 'dance floor', Ginny and Seamus not far behind. Autumn looked up at her mother who smiled and waved a hand at her.

"I got your letter." Harry spoke. "Seems as if the wedding happened."

"Have you been here the whole time?" Autumn questioned. Harry grinned sheepishly, black hair falling into his eyes. 

"Surprise."

"Staying with the Weasley's again?" Autumn asked, walking towards a forest path and eyeing Harry all the while. Harry nodded, noticing.

"You've never seen me dressed up, have you?" He pulled a bit at his black suit jacket. "Neither have I." Autumn half smiled. She and Harry walked through the woods along a beaten path for about ten minutes before they came across a small, clear pond. Standing close to it, Harry faced Autumn and took her hands in his.

"Harry…" Autumn looked into his eyes, her own brimming with tears.

"Shhh…" Harry pulled her into a hug. "It's alright… what's wrong?"

"Harry… we're never going to see each other again." Harry pulled away, confused.

"Sure we will, Autumn. We've got a whole year at Hogwarts and after that we can-…"

"Harry, I'm not going back to Hogwarts." Harry cocked his dark eyebrows.

"Your decision?" Autumn nodded.

"At least I think that's my decision." Autumn replied. Harry let go of her and pulled a small book out of the inside pocket of his jacket.

"For you." Autumn opened it. It was almost like a journal, words were scratched in with quill-ink, pages were faded, but they were filled with poems and songs that Harry had written or loved. Flipping through, she found the lyrics to the song she'd found Harry singing, "I'll Be", many poems and in the very back, the final copy of the song that Harry had been writing while at Hogwarts, with the chorus that he'd sung while in Voldemort's lair.

"Harry, this is amazing." She closed the book and looked at the cover, noticing that in the lower right-hand corner was a sketch of the dragon on the pendant that she'd given him. A glint from Harry's neck caught her eye. He was wearing it. Placing the book on a nearby rock, she felt her hand lift to his neck and expose the dragon.

"Yes, I still wear it." He whispered, answering her question. "It reminds me that you'll always he here." Harry slid her other hand over his heart. Pulling him closer to her by the pendant chain, Autumn whispered to his lips.

"I'm going back to Hogwarts." Then it was Harry who made the move, pulling her into a passionate kiss. In the middle of it, he seemed to have a thought and pulled away slightly.

"You realize, if this was a movie, this would be where the camera pans and it's the end?" 

"Except that this is still only the beginning." Autumn replied, pulling Harry back to her, he not restraining because he knew that this… this was right.

Almost unnoticeably when Autumn pulled Harry back to her, a soft wind blew, just light enough to flip leaves and shuffle grass. Quietly and discreetly, a paper, or likely a note, flew itself into the pond from the pages in the book. It swiftly floated atop the water until it became too waterlogged and began to sink. Quill-inked words ran together, 'cloak' mixing with 'wand' and 'spell', 'dark', 'kill' and 'die' so deeply smudged that they were un-readable and 'Harry Potter' slowly running into the signature 'Autumn Fortshamen'. One word though, vanished clear from view, as if it had never been. That one word was enigma.

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The End

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One more thanks, and that goes to Opal.Star (bet you thought I forgot you!) who helped me through my last chapters. If she hadn't come around at just the right time, then I don't know what would have happened to my story. It's amazing all the ways you've helped me, hunn… even just by talking about stupid things like cheese or time changes. Thanks for getting me out of those writers blocks. * claps and cheers *

I only just noticed that the link for the picture of Harry and Autumn didn't work, so check out my main page for the link.

!Please RevIEw!  
Yeah, click that button, click it good!


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